Roots Up: A multifunctional greenhouse to grow food and collect water
Based in Gondar, in northern Ethiopia, Roots Up was established to support family farming as a viable model of agriculture. Smallholder farmers in the highlands face several challenges, such as climatic hazards, low yields, food insecurity.
To meet water needs, Roots Up introduced a multifunctional greenhouse that allows farmers to grow food and collect water. The greenhouse is an affordable technology that accumulates sufficient water reserves to provide year-round irrigation.
The greenhouse serves multiple purposes to suit different climatic conditions. It is designed to efficiently capture dew, fog and rainwater, depending on the area. The low-tech greenhouse is made to serve communities who live in harsh climatic conditions and who face soil erosion and recurrent droughts.
Located in wetlands or next to the coast, the greenhouse can collect dew that forms on a plastic film when the temperature drops at night, which is then collected by gutters. The collected water can then be used for irrigation, and is also safe for drinking.Results obtained
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Indicators used
The greenhouse is suitable in different regional areas with diverse climatic conditions
It is also suitable for dry areas located next to the coast. In this case, the greenhouse would be designed for dew collection.
Total costs
- Each greenhouse costs from USD 500 to USD 500, depending on the location and the materials available. To build one greenhouse for one community would cost a total of USD 960, including the materials and training costs.
Contact
Mathilde Richelet Project manager
Bassel Jouni Architect & Designer
Tel: (+251) (0) 9 46 83 52 16 e-mail: info@roots-up.org