Biomimicry as a Design Solution for Water Shortage

Janine Benyus, a leader in Biomimicry, defines the approach as:

Biomimicry is basically taking a design challenge and then finding an ecosystem that’s already solved that challenge, and literally trying to emulate what you learn.

The staff at Pratt Institute gave me the task of addressing the negative impact of climate change on a community of people. My findings would then ultimately be submitted for the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge.

For this project, I focused on the issue of water shortage in Yemen, one of the most climate-thirsty places in the world. By analyzing the site and the local community’s customs and materials, I developed a design solution that took its inspiration from plants that harvest fog from the air as their primary water source.  

The project’s ultimate goal in Biomimicry was to benefit the young women of Yemen who are most affected by water shortage by giving them a sustainable solution.