POSITIVE URBAN INTEGRATION

POSITIVE URBAN INTEGRATION

Warka Water is an alternative water source to rural population that faces challenges in accessing drinkable water. It is first and foremost an architecture project. WW should not be considered as the solution to all water problems in developing countries but rather as a tool that can provide clean water in selected areas, particularly in mountainous regions where conventional pipelines will never reach and where water is not available from wells. These remote communities, often with limited financial means, struggle to find reliable supplies of clean water for the people, the animals and for agriculture.

The root cause of Ethiopia’s major health problems is the spread of diseases perpetuated by the lack of clean water and sanitation systems. Only 44% of the general population has access to safe drinking water, and merely 34% in rural areas (WHO/UNICEF March 2012). Water quality is severely poor and often contaminated by human and animal waste. The impact of poor water quality on the health of communities is shocking – approximately 54,000 children die each year directly from diarrheal diseases and 217,000 more die from related illnesses, such as malnutrition, pneumonia and malaria (UNICEF February 2012). Air always contains a certain amount of water, irrespective of local ambient temperatures and humidity conditions. This makes it possible to produce water from air almost anywhere in the world. Locations with high rates of aerosol and humidity are best to install WW. WW is a vertical structure designed to harvest potable water from the atmosphere (it collects rain, harvests fog and dew). The objective is to give to the community up to 100 L (26.4 gal) of drinking water every day.