By 2025, nearly a quarter of us could be living in places where water is scarce.
Now scientists trying to tackle the problem, have turned to a tiny beetle for help.
The fogstand beetle is native to
Africa's Namib Desert, one of the most arid areas of the world.
But what it lacks in rainfall, it makes up for in coastal fog and it's this the beetle
depends on for survival. It basks in the fog, standing upside down on top of sand dunes.
Its back is covered in bumps that have water-loving tips and water-repelling slopes.
This structure encourages tiny droplets of fog to stick to the surface.
As the droplets coalesce to form larger drops, gravity causes them to
roll down its back and into its mouth. Now there are several fog collecting
projects across the world but improvements are always welcome.
Scientists in the UK are replicating the pattern to design roof tiles that trap fog water.
The tiles could help hospitals in parts of Africa
collect sterile water to make medicines. Everybody needs water to live,
and this clever beetle will continue to teach us innovative ways to make the most of it.