A new village being constructed in the rainforests of Cameroon is attempting to solve age-old human water needs using only materials and resources native to the area. The project was conceived and designed by Italian architect Arturo Vittori and his nonprofit Warka Water to preserve the Pygmy civilization of the isolated Mvoumagomi region. The traditional society of hunter-gathers has roamed the African rainforests for centuries but is now being penned in between off-limits conservation districts and private land being stripped for oil palm and rubber trees.

The Warka village lies in a place with no roads and little communication with the outside world. Due to frequent flooding, the territory can be totally inaccessible during the rainy seasons. The innovative new micro-town incorporates several features to support the life and livelihood of the Pygmy culture all year round. Two Warka Towers provide an alternative source of drinking water for residents by gathering moisture from rain, fog, and dew. “It is a passive structure, it functions only by natural phenomena such as gravity, condensation, and evaporation,” the company website explains. Built from 100-percent recyclable and biodegradable components, the towers should yield between 10 and 20 gallons of potable water each day, depending on atmospheric conditions.

“Warka tower is demonstrating that we can harvest water from the sky, so water doesn’t only come from the ground,” Vittori say...