Alto Hospicio is on the edge of the Atacama Desert – one of the driest places on Earth. With little to no precipitation, the main water source of cities in the region are underground aquifers – rock layers that contain water-filled spaces – that were last refilled thousands of years ago.

With urban populations growing, and demand on those water supplies from mining and industry, the scientists say there is an urgent need for other sustainable sources of clean water.

Dr Gamberini explained that Chile is “very special” for its sea fog, “because we have the ocean along the whole country and we have the mountains”.

Her team is currently working on a “fog harvesting map” of the whole country.

“Water from the clouds”, as Dr Carter describes it, could, she said, “enhance our cities’ resilience to climate change, while improving access to clean water”.