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| Drinking steam, by by Theodore Kinyanjui. In some areas around the Eburru mountain (home of the rare Bongo antelope) - north-west of Lake Naivasha - the steam vents are so close the surface local people drill into them and condense the steam for domestic use. A long trickle pipe can collect as much as 200ltr a day. GRC PHOTO CONTEST 2016 |
On the edge of Mt. Suswa, an active volcano in southwest Kenya’s Rift Valley, Kipas Ole Masiodo checks on volcanic steam rising from cracks in the ground, careful not to let any go to waste.
As prolonged drought dries water reserves across Kenya, harvesting these fleeting wisps of water vapor near Masiodo’s home has been a lifeline for his family and community.
“It is clean and safe for drinking,” the 35-year-old said. “It is not much, but it is better than traveling to distant sources to look for water.”
Using aluminum sheets and a concrete tank, his community traps the steam, which when cooled can become drinking water. Masiodo said a single steam trap is able to collect at least 200 liters (53 gallons) of water every day – and his village now has 20 of the traps.
