Fog, Dew and Snow Harvesting

Technical Description
Fog and dew are forms of precipitation, and, by helping to maintain high humidity, limit
evaporation from the soil and transpiration from vegetation. Due to fine size of fog droplets
(diameters range from about 1 Tm to 40 Tm), and their low velocity of descent (ranging from 1
cm/s to approximately 5 cm/s), moisture is carried readily by breezes of even low velocity.
Hence, fog harvesting requires a nearly vertical surface as catchment area for its collection. In
contrast, dew harvesting requires an horizontal surface. A gravel layer is commonly used in
agricultural areas as a means of maintaining soil moisture by dew harvesting, while minimizing
evaporative losses and increasing soil temperature. In the evening, the gravel layer cools and
remains cool in the early morning, when water vapour condenses onto the gravel creating
droplets which pass between the gravel particles and reach the soil surface, moistening the soil.
Snow, being another form of precipitation, can also be harvested to provide an alternative supply
of freshwater.
Snow harvesting requires the construction of a pit, generally ranging in size from about 6 to 8
metres in diameter and about 10 metres in depth. The pit is heavily compacted and the collected
snow is dumped into the pit to a depth of 2 to 3 metres. The compacted snow is covered with
earth, which acts as an insulator, and a bamboo tube is placed about 50 cm above the base of the
pit to serve as an outlet. As the snow melts around the bamboo pipe, water trickles along the
bamboo and into a pot placed beneath the outlet. The water collected in the pot may be used for
household drinking water and can supply water to up to 14 families (UNEP, 1982).
Extent of Use
Fog and dew harvesting is practised in Gansu Province, in northwest China, where melons are
cultivated with water supplied using dew harvesting techniques. The melons are cultivated in soil
beds covered with a 10 cm to 15 cm thick layer of gravel. The pieces of gravel range from 2 cm
to 5 cm in diameter, and have proven to be a satisfactory growing medium for melons. These
farms are well known as the 'gravel fields for melons' in China (UNEP, 1982).
Applications of the traditional snow harvesting technology to augment drinking water supplies
can be found in Takhar Province, Afghanistan.
Operation and Maintenance
The technologies for harvesting alternative forms of atmospheric moisture tend to be based upon
simple precepts and are traditional freshwater augmentation techniques.
Level of Involvement
These technologies are generally implemented at the household and small community levels.
Costs

No cost data were available, but costs may be assumed to be negligible as the technologies make
use of commonly available materials and implements.
Effectiveness of the Technology
Studies have shown that about 10 l/m2/day of fog-derived water can be collected from the
vertical section of a tree. In the Dhofar region of southern Oman, water from fog was collected
for 79 days at an average rate of 860 l/day. Thus, fog and dew harvesting technologies may be
effective in supplying small volumes of water for specific, supplemental uses.
Suitability
These technologies are generally suitable for use in mountainous regions, where fogs are
common and snowfalls occur.
Advantages
These traditional technologies are inexpensive and simple to implement.
Disadvantages
Fog and dew harvesting technologies do not utilize a reliable source of water; the occurrence of
fogs, especially, is uncertain, although certain areas do have a known propensity for fog
development (particularly, mountainous coastal areas on the western continental margin).
Further, calculation of even an approximate quantity of water that can be obtained at a particular
location is difficult (Schemenauer and Cereceda, 1994).
Cultural Acceptability
There are no known problems associated with the use of water harvested from fog, dew and
snow.
Further Development of the Technology
A great deal of further research and experience with pilot scale projects is needed before these
technologies can be considered to be fully developed.
Information Sources
Schemenaur, R.S. and P. Cerceda 1994. Fog Collections Role in Water Planning for Developing
Countries, Natural Resources Forum, Vol. 18.
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) 1982. Rain and Storm water Harvesting in
Rural Areas, Tycooly International Publishing Ltd. Dublin.