Every Drop Counts: Dew Water for Survival and Saving Communities

Resiliency is part of our DNA as humankind. Our ancestors had passed on great genes that allowed us to evade the risk of extinction. Our innate resourcefulness has saved us time and again. This trait is more likely to be highlighted in times of crisis and when we’re stuck in situations that call for great survival instincts, like collecting dew water for survival and the love of dear life.

Walk to drink

It’s not common for people to know the potential of dew water in helping someone last a few more days in the middle of nowhere, fighting for his dear life. This unpopular knowledge would most likely be part of military survival training, especially when a soldier is deployed to an unfamiliar territory, away from the city, or just somewhere where meeting one’s basic needs proves to be more difficult than expected. But scientists have started developing technology that uses dew water as a potential source of drinking water, not just a means for survival for those facing extreme situations, but like your normal day water drinking from your tap.

Circling back to how dew water is used for survival, Command Sergeant Major T. S. Decker is our go-to person. In his video on Military.com, he demonstrated how dew water is collected. It’s literally a walk in the park (or a meadow, for that matter)! Check it out and see for yourself.

This comes with a disclaimer, though. Dew water isn’t always abundant, and the location plays a huge factor in this. Humid locations, such as the warm coastal tropics, are more likely to experience dew than arid areas. Humidity measures the amount of water vapor in the air. Warm, humid air is full of moisture that can condense during calm, cool nights, says an article grabbed from National Geographic.

Droplets of life

India Water Portal reports that “a group of Indian scientists, working with experts from France, has developed technology for harvesting dew or atmospheric moisture for drinking water purposes and shown that it can be a cost-effective option in water-stressed regions like Kutch in Gujarat. The dew-harvesting technology involves harvesting dew using specially designed condenser panels, storing raw water, and putting it through a filtration process. When conditions for dew formation are right–clear sky and humid coastal breeze–the panel surfaces cool to the dewpoint temperature causing condensation. Condensing water flows down the sloping sides by gravity into a central channel.” This is a remarkable output and has the potential to save many lives from dehydration and provide decent living conditions to those in far-flung areas where potable water is a luxury.

Inspiration from dehydration

“Most of the 800 villages in Kutch experience shortage of safe potable water for residents and livestock. Out of them, about 150 villages have been categorized as “no source” villages and have to depend on water transported from long distances daily,” still citing from India Water Portal. Our evolving needs would always lead us to our great inventions. The use of dew water indeed is a great start.

This leads us back to the above statement. We’ll always find a way to survive and thrive even in the most unpleasant places and situations because that’s who we are. So the next time you wake up to a chilly morning, you’ll never look at the dew drops the same way again.