scientist have proposed an improbable solution to water scarcity in one of the driest place on the planet : fog . By harvest home wet from the air , they argue , we could provide vulnerable community in Chile’sAtacama desertwith much - needed weewee .

The Atacama is the driest nonionic desert – but not thedriest place on Earth , that title go to somewhere you might not look – receiving just1 to 3 millimeters(0.04 to 0.1 column inch ) of hurriedness per year in some place . That has n’t stopped life from thriving there : hardybacteriaare known to inhabit the bone - teetotal , piquant , and sulfate - rich soil , andplant lifeblooms , despite the hostility . But what about humans ?

conceive it or not , people live there too , mostly in coastal town and metropolis . Their primary source of water add up from an underground aquifer located inland , at the understructure of the Andes , which last recharged between 17,000 and 10,000 years ago when the desert still receive some rainfall . It is now dry out up .

In the raw field , the team flex their attention to Alto Hospicio , a tight - develop municipality with apopulationof over 143,000 . Around 10,000 people in the part live in cozy settlements , the overwhelming majority of which are not connected to water dispersion networks . Inhabitants here get their water via trucks or bank on punctures to the public web .

Their touch-and-go situation leave them vulnerable to pee scarceness – but we may now have a solution in the humble chassis of fog . Fog harvesting – a technique that affect take in and put in body of water in fog – could supply an untapped and cheap author of piss for communities in the Atacama Desert , the investigator argue .

“ This inquiry represents a notable shift in the sensing of fog piddle use – from a rural , rather small - plate solution to a practical water resource for cities , ” said Dr Virginia Carter Gamberini , first co - author of the study , in astatement .

“ The collection and usage of water , especially from non - conventional source such as fog water , represents a key opportunity to amend the quality of life history of inhabitants . ”

But just how do you “ harvest”fog ? The answer is a ok , moisture - catch mesh strung between two spot . As droplet build up on the mesh , they fall into a gutter and flow into body of water storage tanks .

Utilizing such a method in a 100 square kilometer ( 39 hearty mile ) area surrounding Alto Hospicio could , the researcher demonstrate , generate between 0.2 and 5 liters of fog water per satisfying m each day . During the study ’s visor – August and September of 2024 – this potential reached up to 10 cubic decimeter per straight metre and daytime , although it is hold to high ALT .

With treatment , this water could be used for drinking , but it could also have applications in agriculture or mining .

Based on an middling yearly water supply collection rate of 2.5 liters per square measure per day , the investigator forecast that 17,000 substantial meters ( 183,000 straight feet ) of interlocking would be needed to meet the hebdomadal water demand of 300,000 liters for the 10,301 people living in Alto Hospicio ’s urban slums . Meanwhile , just 110 square meters ( 1,180 square foot ) could gather the yearly demand for the irrigation of the metropolis ’s green spaces ( 100,000 liters ) .

“ Our findings demonstrate that fog can serve up as a complementary urban H2O supplying in drylands whereclimate changeexacerbates weewee shortage , ” Carter supply . However , fogginess harvesting should not be targeted as the lonesome solvent to water scarceness , but as part of a broader approach , the team cautions .

For the scheme to work would ask optimal geographic and atmospheric conditions . “ central prerequisites include fog density , suitable breaking wind patterns , and well - tailor elevated landforms , ” first co - source Nathalie Verbrugghe explained , adding that seasonal variability in fog would also need to be account for – in Alto Hospicio , the fog time of year is from May to October . They would also need to measure the quality of the harvested urine and consider what treatment it may necessitate to make it dependable to drink .

however , its promise has the team feeling hopeful .

“ We desire to further policymakers to incorporate this renewable source into national water scheme , ” concluded Carter . “ This could enhance urban resilience to climate change and rapid urbanisation while better entree to clean water . ”

The study is published inFrontiers in Environmental Science .