Safe water is a fundamental human need, but 780 million people—about one in nine—lack access to clean water. The Warka Water tower is a brilliant design that can pull pull drinking water out of thin air, providing an affordable and effective solution to chronic water shortage worldwide. The Warka Water project was inspired by a trip the design team took in 2012 to isolated villages in northeast Ethiopia that lacked access to clean and safe water. Determined to improve the villagers’ living conditions, the team drew inspiration from the way natural organisms collect water as well as from Ethiopian craftsmanship to create the Warka Water tower, a woven basket-like structure that sustainably harvests dew, fog, and rain into potable water. Each tower is made from local and biodegradable materials such as bamboo, hemp, and bio-plastic, and is covered in a mesh fabric with a special coating that allows water collection.