At an age when the world is facing a major water crisis, it is the need of the hour to find alternative sources for securing drinking water. Access to water is still a dream for many, leading to poor living conditions, hunger, and conflict amongst nations. To address this major issue, WaterFoundation has been working in rural communities, to ensure that everyone has access to clean water. The establishment operates at places where lack of water leads to severe life-threatening situations.
By implementing innovative methods, they attempt to resolve the water crisis, leading the inhabitants towards a better and sustainable life. CloudFisher is the latest project undertaken by WaterFoundation, where drinking water is being derived out of fog. This unique method of sourcing water is the first of its kind.
About the Company
WaterFoundation or WasserStiftung is a charitable organization based in Munich, Germany, presently chaired by Dr. Beate Grotehans. Established by Ernst Frost and Henner Lang, this is a non-political, independent entity that aims to provide basic human rights to everyone, without discriminating among nations and ethnicities. Founded on the principle of transparency, they strive to bring about ecological balance through sustainable living, enabling people to become self-dependent.
For more than two decades, WaterFoundation has been working to provide wide access to clean water for all, while also addressing certain grave sociological issues. These include the prevention of forceful migration, ensuring hygienic living conditions, extending hands of assistance to women and the youth, and combating hunger by improving local food supply systems.
The foundation’s concern for the environment has led them to protect forests, uphold the importance of biodiversity, and vocalize the significance of sustainable agriculture.
Since their predominant area of work is related to water, they work with communities to raise awareness about water management. They also devise long-term plans for better water management, to secure water access even in the remotest of the rural areas.
The organization is mostly managed by volunteers, who are proficient in their respective technical fields, and continue to support the causes that WaterFoundation stands for.
The Solution & How It Works: All About CloudFisher
Launched at the Wasser Berlin International trade fair in 2015, CloudFisher is a new addition to the solutions offered by WaterFoundation.
CloudFisher makes use of water vapor and turns it into drinking water. In areas where getting access to clean water is difficult, this comes as a much-desired solution. This is the first-ever creation that can endure high wind speeds with ease, and collect fog for producing water. There are special fog nets that are designed to catch water droplets found in the air.
This is a highly accessible method and does not need the assistance of any energy sources. Hence, implementation becomes easy. CloudFisher can be used in a wide range of sustainability projects, such as preserving forests, farming, as well as by various industries.
CloudFisher makes use of food-safe materials, so the water produced in this method is completely safe for drinking. With this innovation, it is possible to provide access to fresh and uncontaminated water (following the drinking standards levied by the World Health Organization) to a large number of people all across the globe. Since the system is heavily dependent on fog, CloudFisher can be especially effective in the hilly regions, coastal areas, and other places where the air is more on the foggy side. Such regions include India, Nepal, Australia, Morocco, Namibia, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, etc., among others.
This highly scalable solution offers an output of 36-126 liters each day, varying from region to region. The highest production rate has been found in Morocco, where CloudFisher produced more than 600 liters of water from fog. This ingenious solution has been designed by Peter Trautwein.
Projects
CloudFisher has been able to add a great deal of value to the projects undertaken in Bolivia, Morocco, and Tanzania.
At Alto del Veladero in Bolivia, CloudFisher has provided an effective remedy for water shortage during the dry seasons. With the fog-net system, hundreds of local residents, including students and farmers, have been benefited. Besides getting access to drinking water, the system has also been able to supply water for carrying out daily chores.
At Mount Boutmezguida in Morocco, CloudFisher has been successful in providing 18 liters of water per day to each family residing in the Aït Baamrane region. This one happens to be the largest fog-catcher net in the world, installed at a height of 1225 m, comprising a total area of 1,590 sqm.
WaterFoundation has been active in the Babati region of Tanzania, with the project aiming to be completed by 2022.
CloudFisher: Pros & Cons
Every invention is inevitably accompanied by a series of advantages and disadvantages. But when it comes to something as sustainable as CloudFisher, the long list of benefits can easily outweigh the minor cons.
CloudFisher Pros
- Sustainable and scalable
- Beneficial for rural, coastal, and hilly regions
- Cost-effective
- Highly impactful
- Produces clean water compliant with the guidelines provided by the WHO (World Health Organization)
- Easy to implement
- Doesn’t require any energy sources
- Made out of food-safe materials
- Can be used by farmers
- Can be utilized for preventing deforestation
- Useful for industries
- Can combat water crisis to a large extent
CloudFisher Cons
- The system is entirely dependent on weather
- Needs a foggy atmosphere to unleash its optimum potential
Conclusion
Thanks to the charitable endeavors undertaken by WaterFoundation. A large number of people living in unsanitary conditions have been able to transform their lives for the better. With access to water for drinking as well as other everyday chores, the families benefiting from CloudFisher also learn the importance of a proper water management system and the significance of leading a sustainable, hygienic and independent life.
Contact Details
If you wish to learn more about WaterFoundation and its various projects, here are the contact details of the organization.
Website: https://www.wasserstiftung.de/
Email: info@wasserstiftung.de
Address: Landsberger Str. 428, D-81241 München
Phone: +49 (0) 171 560 10 49