Water Harvesting: Designing Hope in Dry Regions

A sustainable system for capturing water from air, fog, and underground sources to support underserved communities.

Briefly describe the challenge

In my home country, water scarcity is a daily struggle. Many families in arid regions face health risks, poverty, and limited access to clean water. This inspired me to design accessible, low-cost water harvesting systems for different climates.

Personal Motivation

As a student volunteer, I worked with children affected by cancer, many from water-scarce regions. Their suffering made me realize that climate and lack of clean water play a hidden role in public health. This became my motivation to design solutions that could change futures.

Briefly describe the challenge

Design Process

Research into regional needs (arid, humid, coastal).
Material innovation: PNIPAAm polymer, graphene coatings.
Prototyping with copper coils, underground condensers.
Simulation testing to optimize before fabrication.

The solution

I developed an underground copper coil condenser system designed to harvest water in hot and humid regions. By placing the system below ground, it used the naturally cooler subsurface temperature to condense humidity into clean, drinkable water. The design was:
Low-cost and made from locally available materials.
Modular and portable, easy to install in different sites.
Scalable from household to community-level applications.

The result

Prototype testing: The system collected up to 200 liters/day at 65% humidity, when mounted one meter underground.
Performance scaling: Optimized models projected to achieve 1000+ liters/day, depending on climate conditions.
Material innovations: Using polymers and graphene coatings improved condensation efficiency and water yield.
Practical benefits:
Provided clean drinking water for families in dry regions.
Supported small-scale agriculture and gardening.
Reduced dependence on costly and unsustainable water infrastructure.

Impact & Learning

This project proved that design + material science + climate-sensitive systems can create practical solutions for real communities. More than just technology, it reflects my commitment to sustainability, resilience, and designing for human needs.

Personal Story Behind the Water Harvesting Project

When I first started college, I joined an NGO as a volunteer because I was passionate about working with children. Together with my classmates, we visited a children’s cancer hospital, where we made origami and played with the kids to distract them from the pain of chemotherapy. For a few moments, our only goal was to help them smile and forget their suffering.

Over the years, as I kept returning and speaking with their families, I realized that many of these children came from dry regions of southern Iran — areas where water scarcity was severe. Families explained that living in such harsh climates contributed to health problems, including blood cancers and other illnesses linked to environmental stress and poor water conditions.

This experience changed me. I wanted to do more than entertain children for a few minutes; I wanted to address the root causes of their suffering. That was when I committed myself to designing water-harvesting systems that could support communities in arid and semi-arid regions. My goal was to create solutions so that future generations of children could grow up healthy, resilient, and free from illnesses caused by climate-driven hardship.

This personal connection is what drives my Water Harvesting Project. It’s not only about engineering efficiency but also about designing for life, dignity, and hope