GROUP - EMERGINATION

ABSTRACT

Many technological advances have been used in order to address the challenge of climate
change. One is the popularization of rainwater harvesting. In the Philippines, the utilization of
the system has increased in the past years as it continues to prevent water scarcity and
drought. Almost half of the population in the Philippines is suffering from the recurring drought
or dry spells brought on by the El Niño effect. Most of them are small farmers in the food
producing regions. This resulted in a decrease in productivity and high production costs. In
provision for addressing the climate crisis amongst small farmers as the target population group,
a vertical rainwater harvesting technology called Aquatecture panels will be used. These panels
will also be integrated with a Sprinkler system for sanitation. The installation of these panels in
rural landscaped farms are unattached or will standalone and collect rainwater and/or harvest
moisture from the atmosphere through its openings. An experiment to measure how effective
the vertical panels were conducted proved that the facade angle possibly played a dominant
role on the effectiveness of the panels and managed to accumulate 87% of all rainwater
(Fokaides, 2018). Data collecting instruments like Water measuring scale / Water level indicator,
Rainfall Gauge and Arduino Humidity sensors were used to gather information on the collected
rainwater. With Aluminum being the material of the panels, it was possible to avoid corrosion,
making it a durable material to be used in producing the modular panels. Surface wettability is
essential in moisture collection, droplets glide more easily on hydrophobic surfaces and
nucleate is quicker on hydrophilic surfaces (Leudeman, 2018). This is tested through rainfall
stimulation in a controlled environment vs. natural environment, focusing on getting results
through a runoff coefficient analysis technique. The results of this study will provide an
innovative system for small farmers in relation to the impact of numerous dry spells throughout
the year that caused disadvantages to the work lifestyle of the farmers.

BODY

Introduction

Water, by its simplest definition, is life. It is used for irrigation, cooking, washing, cleaning,
drinking, etc., therefore, being extremely important for daily living. Every living thing on Earth
requires water to survive. Without proper sanitation, epidemics are most likely to occur.

Given the condition of natural resources today, water pollution has rendered many of the natural
resources not safe for drinking and other consumption purposes. Around the globe,
approximately 2.2 billion people do not have basic drinking water services, 4.2 billion people do
not have basic sanitation services, and 3 billion lack handwashing facilities around the world.
Additionally, water is under extreme threat from a growing population, increasing demands of
agriculture and industry, and the worsening impacts of climate change.
Among the water crises likely to occur, “Day Zero” would be one of the most crucial
catastrophes. Day Zero will mark the start of water restrictions, when municipal water supplies
would be largely switched off. It also envisions that residents would have to queue for their daily
ration of water. The crisis was defined as the point at which stricter regulations would begin
because defining Day Zero at 0% capacity would only prompt action from residents when it is
too late.

Cape Town, a city and seaport in South Africa, once edged towards Day Zero in 2018, but
fortunately avoided it by going through a combination of aggressive water conservation and
efficiency campaigns, and increased rainfall. Day Zero was pushed back due to restrictions in
allocation of water to surrounding agricultural areas. The city also saved water by implementing
a steep tariff penalizing heavy users of water, prohibiting water for pools, lawns, and
nonessential uses, and installing a new water pressure system. Campaigning also ramped up
awareness by advertising on electronic signs how many days the current water supply would
last and releasing a citywide usage map allowing people to compare their usage to their
neighbors.

Another attempt to avert Day Zero was through rainwater harvesting, which is by collecting the
runoff from a structure or other impervious surface in order to store it for later use. Designer
Shaakira Jassat has created a harvester that is slim enough to fit on the outside of buildings in
dense urban environments known as the “Aquatecture Panels.” It is designed to collect
rainwater as it trickles over the openings in the structure before pumping it into a building's
greywater system. Jassat, who is the founder of Studio Sway, was inspired to create the panel
after observing drought conditions in her native country, South Africa. Currently, some panels
are installed at V&A Waterfront’s Granger Bay, near the Oranjezicht City Farm Market where the
harvested rainwater is being used. Since the panels were only introduced in 2018, it is still being
developed by Jassat and her team to maximize its full potential.

Looking at the current state of water resources in the Philippines, there is a possibility that the
country will experience Day Zero, perhaps soon. 42% of the Philippines is currently
experiencing drought or dry spells brought on by the El Niño effect. As of April 15, 39 provinces,
cities, municipalities, and villages have declared a state of calamity. The worst affected areas
are Mindanao and the Visayas regions. According to the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), around 181,687 farmers and 224,834
hectares of agricultural land have been affected since January 2016. The latest Global Climate
Risk Index has ranked the Philippines fourth among countries most affected by weather-related
events from 2000 to 2019. Rainfall occurring very often in the country helps push back drought,
however, it is not enough because of the sultry climate.

Irrigation is a very important component of agriculture in the Philippines. It has been the main
factor for increasing agricultural productivity. The Philippines, being an agricultural country,
needs to invest in promoting inclusive growth, build more sustainable agriculture and food
systems that are resilient to calamities, and respond effectively to climate change impacts such
as drought. The main goal is to develop the agriculture sector to attain food self-sufficiency,
increase the farmer's income, guarantee food security, and eventually reduce poverty in the
rural areas.

With all the aforementioned information, the group’s proposed project is a rainwater harvester
similar to the Aquatecture panel designed by Shaakira Jassat, however, with differences in
terms of design and material to suit the target participants and setting. In this case, it will be
utilized as part of a free standing element in rural landscapes and farms to collect rainwater as it
trickles over the open punctures of the panel. The collected rainwater is transported to a
collection tank and into the sprinkler system for irrigation purposes.

Literature Review

A. Related Literature
Potential of Harvesting Rainwater from Vertical Surfaces
Rainwater is one of the purest water sources, but when collected from horizontal surfaces, it
gets polluted with particles that have settled on those surfaces. This research explores
collecting rainwater from vertical surfaces. To accurately measure collected rainwater, an
experimental stand was constructed. The stand consisted of a mechanism that allowed the
water-collecting surface and its parameters to be changed, whilst also measuring various
aspects of the weather and the amount of water that was successfully harvested. The
experiments were conducted in both a controlled environment (laboratory) and under real
(natural) conditions. It was proven that the facade angle could have a significant impact on the
effectiveness of such a system, even though it is a completely vertical facade, it managed to
collect up to 87% of all rainwater.

Fig. 1: Comparison of different facade angles

Effects of Engineered Wettability on the Efficiency of Dew Collection

Surface wettability plays an important role in dew collection. Nucleation is faster on hydrophilic
surfaces, while droplets slide more readily on hydrophobic surfaces. Plants and animals in
coastal desert environments appear to overcome this trade-off through biphilic surfaces with
patterned wettability. The research investigated the effects of millimeter-scale wettability
patterns, mimicking those of the Stenocara beetle, on the rate of water collection from humid air.
The rate of water collection per unit area is measured as a function of subcooling (ΔT = 1, 7,
and 27 °C) and angle of inclination (from 10° to 90°). For large subcooling, neither wettability nor
tilt angle has a significant effect because the rate of condensation is so great. For 1 °C
subcooling and large angles, hydrophilic surfaces perform best because condensation is the
rate-limiting step. For low angles of inclination, superhydrophobic samples are best because
droplet sliding is the rate-limiting step. Theoretical considerations suggest that this finding may
apply more generally to surfaces with patterned wettability.

B. Conceptual Framework

C. Research Question: What are the most effective materials and design perforations for
increasing rainwater collection of vertical modular panels?

Methodology
A. Participants
a. Small-Scale Farmers
i. The project targets the group of farmers that dominate agricultural
production, specifically in the food producing regions that have been
affected by climate change and its drought effect. Small-scale farmers are
part of the worsened poverty groups in rural areas, due to the significant
decrease in productivity, high production costs, and low government
support to the agricultural sector. The project analyzes the food producing
regions that experience most drought and water scarcity. These are the
listed regions that are suitable for the project:
 1. Luzon: Metro Manila, Pangasinan, Bataan, Pampanga,
Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Occidental Mindoro,
Oriental Mindoro, Masbate, and Rizal
2. Visayas: Antique, Iloilo, Bataan, Northern Samar, and
Western Samar
3. Mindanao: Dinagat Islands, Davao Occidental, North
Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat
b. Characteristics
i. Modular Panel
1. This modular panel can be installed on façades of buildings,
making water harvesting an integrated building feature. In this
case, it will be utilized as part of a free standing element in rural
landscapes and farms to collect rainwater as it trickles over the
open punctures of the panel. The collected rainwater is
transported to a collection tank and into the sprinkler system for
irrigation purposes.
ii. Site Conditions
1. The chosen site is part of the food producing regions that
experienced drought and water scarcity. It must use an irrigation
method system in growing crops. Farm owners/workers must be
willing to conduct the design experiment on site.
c. Sampling Technique
i. Purposive Sampling
1. The project wants to gather information about the water usage of
farms in food producing regions. The researchers will purposefully
select a particular food production farm that plants crops
compatible with the irrigation method system in order to test the
efficiency of the project’s product.
B. Materials
a. Equipment and Setting
i. Materials
1. Panel (Body and Catchment)
a. Aluminum or Stainless Steel: Either of these materials
have been selected mainly because of their durability to
withstand water. This will be used to create the modular
panel which will be perforated with the most efficient
shapes to collect the rainwater.
2. Hole Punch Machine: This equipment will be used to create
perforations into the metal panels.
3. Pipes: This will be connected from the attached modular panel
attached on the structure's wall or roof to transport the collected
water into the water tank.
4. Water tank: Will be used to provide storage of collected water.
ii. Equipment
 1. Laptop
2. Arduino Uno
iii. Setting
1. Integrated into farm structures for cleaning purposes
a. Animal housing, etc.
2. Application of Panels
3. Sprinkler System in Sheds
a. Wood Columns
b. Polycarbonate Roof

b. What data collecting instruments?

i. Water Measuring Scale/Water level indicator: Detects and indicates the
water level in an overhead tank or any other water container.
ii. Rainfall Gauge: Is a switching device which is used to detect the rainfall.
iii. Arduino Humidity Sensors: Measures the humidity of the environment

C. Procedures
a. Research Questions
 i. How much rainwater and moisture can be collected?
ii. How effective is the material used for condensation?
iii. Which perforation design is most effective in collecting rainwater?
b. Testing Methods
i. Rainfall Simulation (Controlled Environment vs. Natural Environment):
The panels will be tested through two different settings. In a controlled
environment, rainfall will be simulated through the use of a water nozzle
which would be sprayed at an angle to act like natural rainfall.
c. Analysis Techniques
i. Quantitative Data Analysis: Basic equations will be used to calculate the
amount of rainwater and moisture collected by the panels.
ii. Runoff Coefficient: The ratio of the amount of water that runs off a surface
to the amount of rainfall that falls upon it is known as the runoff coefficient
for any catchment. Runoff coefficient takes into consideration losses from
spills, leaks, infiltration, wetting of catchment surfaces, and evaporation,
all of which help to reduce runoff.

REFERENCES

https://www.agrifarming.in/agriculture-in-philippines-farming-major-crops

https://sace.ktu.lt/index.php/DAS/article/view/21606/9730#:~:text=As%20we%20can%20see%2
0from,runoff%20water%20from%20the%20facade.

https://sace.ktu.lt/index.php/DAS/article/view/21606

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.7b16379