The potential of fog harvesting in tropical highlands as an alternative water resource: the case of Atok, Benguet, Philippines

School of Civil, Environmental, & Geological Engineering, Mapúa University, Muralla St., Intramuros, Manila 1002, Philippines

^* Corresponding author: fibortan@gmail.com

Abstract

One of the sources of freshwater is groundwater, from below the ground. However, due to excessive human consumption and population growth, groundwater depletion has been a pressing problem all over the world, and it can lead to water scarcity in the future. In elevated areas where water scarcity is rampant due to its high elevation thus resulting in seasonal low surface and groundwater flow, the use of alternative water resources must be assessed. One of the alternative water resources is fog collectors which involves the use of fog harvesting technology. This paper aims to study the application of fog catchers in Atok, Benguet, Philippines by analyzing the fog water collected from standard fog catchers for one month. To determine the suitable fog catcher materials in the area, two types of mesh materials (Raschel mesh and Polypropylene) were installed and analyzed for their water collection ability, availability in the area, and strength to withstand environmental factors. An average of 0.30036 liter/meter/day and 0.20695 liter/meter/day of water were collected from the Raschel mesh and Polypropylene mesh, respectively. The results of this study can pave the way for further development and assessment of the application of fog catchers in the Philippines as an alternative water resource in elevated areas to provide solution to water scarcity.