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In The Early 2010s, Water Foundation and Designer Peter Trautvine Decided to Turn Desert Air into Drinking Water. For a Year and a Half, They Tested Meshes Until Creating Cloud Fisher. On Mount Bout Mesguida, 31 Collectors Add Up to 1700 m² and Yield Up to 36,000 Liters Per Day of Strong Fog.
In the early 2010s, a group linked to the Water Foundation in Munich and industrial designer Peter Trautvine decided that it was possible to turn desert air into drinking water using a resource that had always been there: the Atlantic fog that covers the mountains in southern Morocco.
In practice, the work required a long testing cycle, lasting about a year and a half, until reaching a durable three-dimensional polyethylene mesh, capable of withstanding sun, wind, and storms, and still “dripping” clean water on every day that fog appears.
A Mountain Between The Sahara and The Atlantic, With Water in The Air and Thirst on The Ground
In the anti-Atlantic region of southern Morocco, the scene is one of scarcity. It Rains Few Times A Year, some dry periods stretch for months, and the water available in wells can become brackish, corroding pipes and causing stomach discomfort.
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In many dispersed villages, for decades there was no faucet in homes, and fetching water meant walking steep trails with jugs for hours.
The paradox is that on many mornings, a dense fog advances from the Atlantic, envelops the ridges, and then disappears with the sun, benefiting no one. It was this “invisible water” that inspired the idea of transforming desert air into drinking water.
Why The Solution Was Not Just Hanging Common Nets
Fog harvesting already existed in other dry regions using simple nets. The problem was reliability. Many meshes tore in storms, produced little, or degraded quickly under ultraviolet light. The project’s goal was clear: to create a system that lasted for years, not just one season.
On Mount Bout Mesguida, chosen for its regular fog and communities in urgent need, teams mapped wind patterns and observed natural signs of moisture, like moss and lichen on rock faces.
From there began the more technical phase: comparing thick, thin meshes and different materials until finding consistent performance.
How The Cloud Fisher Transforms Desert Air Into Drinking Water
The breakthrough came with a three-dimensional spacer fabric made of polyethylene. Instead of a flat sheet, the mesh uses two separate layers, forming millions of small channels where drops collide, adhere, grow, and, by gravity, drain into the collection system.
The operation relies on what the system does not need: there are no pumps, there are no generators, and there is no constant external power. The “source” is the wind that pushes the fog.
The captured water flows by gravity, and the setup is designed to withstand strong gusts, with maintenance possible using basic tools. Residents are trained to inspect and repair damaged sections, keeping the technology close to the community’s routine.
Project Numbers: 31 Collectors, 1700 m² of Mesh, and Up to 36,000 Liters on a Foggy Day
The complete installation on Mount Bout Mesguida operates with 31 Cloud Fisher collectors and a total mesh surface area of about 1700 m².
In favorable conditions, project data reports yields of approximately 22 L/m² of mesh per foggy day, reaching around 36,000 L when fog is abundant.
The key point is to understand the criterion: “per foggy day”. When there is no fog, there is no harvest.
Throughout an entire year, the volume goes up and down with the seasons, but it still becomes relevant for communities that previously depended on distant and problematic wells.
According to the documentation cited in the database, the Cloud Fisher network supplies around 12 to 16 villages, reaching approximately 13 people, in addition to a school and local livestock, covering needs for drinking, cooking, washing, and basic hygiene.
The Operation Model: Low Tariff to Sustain Tanks and Pipes
Water is not completely free. Families pay a small fee per cubic meter, similar to a basic bill.
The base describes the fee as a fraction of €1 per 1000 L, with two objectives: to help cover maintenance of tanks and pipelines and, at the same time, signal that water is valuable, discouraging waste.
In practice, this makes the solution function more like a small public utility adapted to local reality rather than a one-off donation.
What Changes in Daily Life When Water Arrives in Minutes
With closer supply points, daily logic transforms. The Time Previously Spent on Long Walks Becomes Minutes, impacting school, rest, and family organization.
Health workers report stomach issues associated with contaminated water, and the routine of cleaning and hygiene tends to become more regular. In some homes, small gardens emerge, where before water seemed too precious to “go into the soil.”
In the end, the big turnaround is simple: when the community can reliably turn desert air into drinking water, water ceases to control all decisions, and other choices begin to fit into the day.
Do You Believe That A Solution Like Transforming Desert Air Into Drinking Water Would Work In Dry Regions Of Brazil, Or Would There Be A Lack Of Sufficient Fog And Wind To Make It Function?
Se resolver o problema da seca acaba o “Curral Eleitoral “
Eu acredito, que o projeto poderia dar certo,se os políticos deixarem..
Falta névoa mas à noite a temperatura do sertão é baixa.
No Brasil só falta vontade política essa é a grande verdade