#HTE

Warka Water: A Simple, Elegant Solution to Ease Africa’s Water Crisis 

The current water crisis in certain parts of the world isn’t news but the facts and figures bear repeating. In Ethiopia, for example, women and children often have to walk up to six hours to collect the water they need and even then, the water they find, sourced from shallow wells or ponds that are shared with animals, is contaminated by waste and parasites. While a lot of resources from philanthropists like Bill Gates have been funneled into research and developing new methods for dealing with this widespread issue, there hasn’t yet been an appropriate response for the situation at hand—the fact of the matter is, incorporating technology-based systems into remote rural villages is not a practical solution.

This stark reality moved Italian designer Arturo Vittori to pursue a different approach, a low-tech system grounded in the reality of Ethiopia’s geographical and cultural context. Over the past several years, he has been prototyping and testing a unique vertical structure designed to collect and harvest potable water from atmospheric water vapors and rainfall. Warka Water is designed to rely solely on natural phenomena such as gravity, condensation and evaporation. Each tower (about 33 ft high) is composed of two layers: an exoskeleton built out of bamboo tied together with hemp ropes and an internal plastic mesh made of nylon and polypropylene fibers. Dew adheres to this scaffold and is then channeled down into a basin at the base of the structure from which the water can be harvested. 

The goal is to collect an annual average of 50 to 100 liters of potable water a day, which can be used as drinking water or stored for other purposes, like irrigation. Though the project is still in an early, experimental phase—only a handful of pilot tests have been built—it could end up being an alternative water infrastructure for the area. (It doesn’t hurt that the towers look like beautiful totemic sculptures punctuating the landscape.) 

Formally, the structure combines biomimicry with the aesthetics of traditional Ethiopian basket-weaving techniques and local vernacular architecture. “Many plants and animals have developed unique micro- and nano-scale structural features on their surfaces that enable them to collect water from the air and survive in hostile environments,” explains Vittori. “By studying the Namib beetle’s shell, lotus flower leaves, spider web threads and the integrated fog collection system in cactus, we are identifying specific materials and coatings that can enhance dew condensation and water flow and storage capabilities of the mesh. The termite hives have influenced the design of Warka’s outer shell, its airflow, shape and geometry." 

Though the complex geometry of the structure required some high-tech parametric design software, the final product is designed to be easily constructed by locals with readily available tools such as bamboo splitters, hammers, drills and saws. All of the elements required to build a Warka tower come in a kit and take a team of four people roughly one hour to assemble. The tower can be maintained without using any special tools or heavy machinery. "With training and guidance, the locals can easily build and maintain the Warka tower,” says Vittori. “This local know-how can then be transferred to surrounding communities, with villagers helping install other towers in the area and creating an economy based on the assembly and maintenance of the towers.”

Culturally, the project draws on the significance of the Warka tree, a local species with abundant foliage that draws locals under its shade to meet, socialize, even conduct school lessons. The latest versions of the design include a similar canopy at the tower’s base, gathering the community around a common goal and serving as a symbol of the project’s larger educational and social aspirations. To use Warka as a catalyst for growth and development, the team is working on a water management training system, workshops that teach the principles of permaculture and also hopes to equip each canopy with internet connection in the future.