Water Wednesday | Warka Wins Big

Fog and/or dew harvesting is an ancient technology but it is being optimized in modern day design. The Warka Water Tower has been around for several years as a concept but it received the World Design Organization's 2016 World Design Impact Prize following its first installation in Ethiopia. The tower's ability to harvest water from air allows for clean water in even the most remote communities.

Warkawater

This landscape-scale sculpture designed by Italian design firm Architecture and Vision is actually a giant basket that captures water from condensation gathered on plastic mesh textile. Warkawater is named after the towering Ethiopian "warka" fig tree and stands 12m tall. It weighs only 90 kg but can collect up to 100 liters of potable drinking water a day. It is an elegant (both beautiful and simple) solution to water scarcity around the world.