Estimates of global dew collection potential on artificial surfaces

Abstract

The global potential for collecting usable water from dew on an artificial collector sheet was investigated by utilizing 34 years of meteorological reanalysis data as input to a dew formation model. Continental dew formation was found to be frequent and common, but daily yields were mostly below 0.1 mm. Nevertheless, some water-stressed areas such as parts of the coastal regions of northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula show potential for large-scale dew harvesting, as the yearly yield may reach up to 100 L m−2 for a commonly used polyethylene foil. Statistically significant trends were found in the data, indicating overall changes in dew yields of between ±10% over the investigated time period.