One of the driest places in the world is Chile’s Atacama Desert. It receives less than a millimeter of rainfall […]

Outside of a handful of valleys in Antarctica, the Atacama is the driest place on Earth. The inhospitable landscape of sand, bare rock, and salt flats is so extreme and otherworldly that it’s used as a proxy for Mars by researchers.

Scientists have proposed an unlikely solution to water scarcity in one of the driest places on the planet: fog. By harvesting moisture from the air, they argue, we could provide vulnerable communities in Chile’s Atacama desert with much-needed water.

With less annual rainfall than 1 mm per year, Chile's Atacama Desert is one of the driest places in the world. The main water source of cities in the region are underground rock layers that contain water-filled pore spaces which last recharged between 17,

Fog harvesting may provide a crucial water source for people living in some of the planet’s driest regions. By capturing moisture from passing fog, this technique gathers droplets and channels them into storage, potentially easing shortages for those who have little or no connection to traditional water infrastructures.

Learn how fog collection can help mitigate water shortage in Alto Hospicio, providing vital resources to underserved communities.

It's not a one-stop solution to water shortages, but it could help supplement other harvesting and conservation methods.