News

Fog catchers in the mountains of Costa Rica

07.09.2017

Mountain ecosystems in Costa Rica are factories of water. In July 2016, the Environmental Unit of the Municipality of La Union, Costa Rica managed the project "Promoting and facilitating the integrated and sustainable management of the upper region of the Tiribí River watershed", to the Canadian Fund Program for Local Initiatives (CFLI). The objective of the project is to promote an integrated approach for the management of water resources in the upper area of the Tiribí River, along with conserving the ecosystems, preserving the aquifer’s mantles, improving the availability and cost of water, and meeting the high demands of the agricultural sector and growing urban population.

Five systems of fog catchers were installed near the Llano Grande of Cartago. The installation sites were identified in collaboration with the National Meteorological Institute (IMN), taking several factors, such as slope, wind direction and fog stability, density and persistence, into consideration.

The project looks at the possibility of maximizing water uptake beyond surface water sources. The fog catchers will provide water not only when it rains, but also during the dry season and times of drought. The fog catcher itself acts as a sensor element of artificial moisture. It is set up perpendicular to the direction of the prevailing wind to maximize efficiency in obtaining water. The trapped moisture is collected by a duct, which transports the liquid to a reservoir and then to points of consumption.

One goal of the project is to reduce costs. First, the best places for installing the fog catchers were evaluated. This involved measuring the water available in the fog and the speed of the wind. It was also important to determine the frequency and duration of the foggy periods. The second goal is to improve the structural design of the fog catchers. They should be wind-resistant but also easily reinforced in the selected location. In addition, it is also important to conduct research about the best materials out of which to build the fog catchers for efficiently capturing moisture in fog.

This project asserts that water-harvesting techniques represent a great opportunity that could lead to reducing vulnerability to water shortages while also promoting adaptation to the adverse effects of extreme meteorological events and climate change.

Read more 

News and photo by Katherine Quiros Monge of the Municipality of La Unión and Roberto Villalobos Flores of Costa Rica’s National Meteorological Institute