Publication

Abstract : During the past few decades the world has witnessed a phenomenal rise in the growth of population, which has in turn resulted in an increase in the demand for fresh water. Thus, creating an exigency to identify an alternative sustainable freshwater resource to subdue the rising demand for fresh water. Fog, an often-overlooked aspect of the hydrological process, can be one such resource. Several experimental studies were conducted around the globe to gauge the potential of fog as an alternative freshwater resource in high altitude regions. Studies have indicated, that the sites, which were chosen to assess the fog potential of a region, have mostly been random, which might have undermined the fog harvesting potential of the region. The inaccessibility and the harsh environment of the high altitude terrain have also been significant impediment in the experimentation process. This paper is an endeavor to address these issues. In this paper, a hybrid approach between traditional fog quantifications and mathematical modeling, using physically based impaction model aided by complex terrain analysis has been used to quantify the process of fog collection and identification of potential fog harvesting sites of a region. A case study has been done using this approach to analyze the fog harvesting potential of Western Ghats in Ettimadai region and 10054’47.4”N76053’00.6”E has been identified as an ideal location for fog harvesting and has been observed to produce an average yield of 7.67 ± 0.7Lday−1.