Moroccan fog harvesting project relieves water stress and rural poverty

Water stress is undoubtedly one of the most pressing issues with climate change. All over the world, rain patterns are changing and getting less reliable, while groundwater resources are being overused and surface waters polluted. Conservation, rainwater harvesting, desalination, water recycling and climate change mitigation are the commonly proposed solutions to improving water security. A few months ago I visited a project in Morocco that has found a much more unique way to relieve water stress, namely fog harvesting. I encountered this project close to the city of Sidi Ifni in the mountainous Aït Baamrane region of Southwest Morocco, where the local microclimate and abundance of fog make it all possible.

The fog harvesting project is run by a Moroccan non-profit organization called Dar Si Hmad, whose vision is to enable sustainable livelihoods in impoverished communities. In particular, the NGO focuses on training and empowering women, who often bear the brunt of poverty and environmental challenges. Dar Si Hmad has many initiatives, but the fog harvesting project is the most unique and the one that has gained the most publicity. The project also won the United Nation’s Momentum for Change climate change award in 2016, just one year after the project’s inauguration. Community participation has been an important element since the beginning, and the project has been life-changing for residents of the participating villages.

Water stress in the Aït Baamrane region of Morocco

The Aït Baamrane region is located in the Anti-Atlas Mountains of Southwest Morocco, sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert. The semi-arid region receives little rainfall, and rain patterns are getting more sporadic and droughts more common due to climate change. Meanwhile, underground aquifers are being depleted due to overuse and the quality of the water from uncovered wells is low. As a result, water stress is a daily reality for the 380 villages of the region, with the average water use being less than one tenth of the national average in Morocco.

The Aït Baamrane region is also one of the poorest areas of Morocco. The region has traditionally relied on agriculture for subsistence, but this is getting more and more difficult. Because of water scarcities, many people are forced to sell their livestock which drives them further into poverty. Water stress is also a major factor behind migration to urban areas in Morocco, as sustaining oneself in rural areas becomes increasingly difficult.

While rain patterns in Aït Baamrane are getting less reliable, another climatic phenomenon that persists is fog. Fog is caused by the local microclimate, created by the Azores anticyclone and a cold air current coming from the Canary Islands, that together cause the formation of low water-filled stratocumulus clouds. When wind pushes these clouds against the natural obstacle of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, an abundance of fog is created. The mountain range has on average 143 foggy days per year, and fog is particularly abundant between September and June.

Fog has traditionally had many negative connotations in the Aït Baamrane region. It has been thought to prevent rain, bring cold and sicknesses, rust equipment, and to make paths slippery and dangerous. For this reason, the locals were initially skeptical about fog water, thinking it was unclean and not safe for people. Thanks to education and trust-building between Dar Si Hmad and the local communities, fog has now become a valued resource.

Fog harvesting as an alternative source of water

Modern fog harvesting technology was pioneered in Chile in the 1980s, but traditional fog harvesting methods have been used much earlier, for example in the Canary Islands. The president of Dar Si Hmad, Dr. Aissa Derhem, first came across fog harvesting in 1989 while living in Canada. As a native of Aït Baamrane region, he realized that the climate of his home region was ideal for this technique. When he returned to Morocco in the early 2000s, he launched the fog harvesting project.

Research and scientific methodology have been a key component of the success of Dar Si Hmad’s fog harvesting project. The NGO started its first fog harvesting experiments in 2006, and after nearly ten years of research and experimentation, the project was inaugurated in 2015. Research and monitoring continues today, and the harvesting nets – called CloudFishers – have already been improved with a more efficient design. A lot of work has also been put in to assuring the effective design of the guttering and distribution system, not just the nets.

The fog harvesting system works by catching water droplets in a metal mesh. The nets face the ocean from where the wind and the fog come. Wind pushes the fog through the nets, where the water contained in the fog condenses. The water then drops into a gutter that is connected to a cistern. One square meter of net collects approximately 22 liters of water per day. While water really is harvested just a drop at a time, abundant fog and large nets make the total amount substantial.

From the collection station at Mt. Boutzmezguida, the water is distributed to the villages using underground pipes. There are cisterns and reservoirs located throughout the participating villages, and solar panels are used to pump water between cisterns when necessary. Before distribution to households, the fog water is mixed with well water, and the water is treated to make it potable. Dar Si Hmad does charge for the water in order to keep up with maintenance costs, but fees are lower than for government water.

While fog harvesting projects exist around the world, Dar Si Hmad’s project is by far the world’s largest operating fog harvesting system. During my visit in February 2018, the total surface area of harvesting nets was approximately 800 square meters and an expansion project to 1700 square meter was just about to get started. Likewise, the number of villages served is increasing, with the number now being 14 after the pilot project started with five villages in 2015.

Social empowerment through water security and education

The fog harvesting project of Dar Si Hmad is a revolutionary project that serves as a model for other regions of the world where fog is common. But for the residents of the participating villages, just having running water at home – no matter the source – is revolutionary. The project has been particularly life-changing for the local women, who could previously spend up to four hours a day collecting water from distant, depleted wells. Often this duty fell upon the girls, who now have more time to attend school instead.

Gender inequality is a major issue in rural Morocco, and Dar Si Hmad trains women of all backgrounds to take leadership and decision-making roles in order to ensure sustainable development. The NGO provides capacity building to women in the Aït Baamrane region, so that the women can use their new free time in a way that benefits them and their communities. For example, there is now more time to collect and process local argan nuts into priced argan oil that is used for cooking and cosmetics. As women have been the traditional guardians of water, Dar Si Hmad has also involved women in the management of the fog harvesting system.

Dar Si Hmad also works with environmental education, acknowledging that the NGO can’t just provide water without also teaching about the importance of conservation and proper management of natural resources. One of Dar Si Hmad’s environmental education initiatives is the Water School, an environmental education program done in collaboration with schools in the Aït Baamrane region. The program started from the curiosity of the local children, who were asking how it is possible to get water from fog. Topics include water conservation, sanitation, reforestation, biodiversity and environmental challenges, and the education is organized around workshops, hands-on activities, games and field trips. By teaching the next generation about the importance of taking care of the environment, Dar Si Hmad ensures future progress in the right direction.