Enhancing Water Security in La Guajira, Colombia, through Atmospheric Water Harvesting

The water shortage in La Guajira, Colombia, generates critical public health conditions and affects the economic and social development of 52.5 % of its inhabitants settled in the rural area of the department, mainly of the Wayuu ethnic group. Given the lack of physical infrastructure and the few hydric resources in the territory, it is necessary to implement mechanisms that allow non-conventional water source exploitation, such as atmospheric water. This study aims to present the experimental results of a medium-scale mobile Atmospheric Water Generator located in the Upper Guajira and its potential to enhance water security by providing drinking water to residents in isolated places through the extraction of water vapor contained in the atmosphere, avoiding acute diseases in children and adults by the consume in contaminated open-air water reservoirs. The Atmospheric Water Generator began operation in March 2021 and was able to produce 141 L in a time slot of less than 12 hours, from 12:53 to 23:59 hours on March 4, 2021, with relative humidity between 20.1 % to 58.4 %, and ambient temperature between 25.1 °C and 37.9 °C. The Atmospheric Water generator's performance was analyzed considering local meteorological conditions, such as ambient temperature and relative humidity.