The French island of Mayotte is suffering from a months-long water crisis amplified by the inaction of public authorities. The situation is such that potable water is only available one day out of three.

Since the island is tropical in nature, solar desalination is a feasible alternative source of potable water. I wanted to design a system with appropriate technology and a quick installation, based mainly on the Watercone floating solar still and the EMAS handpump. The limited output means this plant is focused on drinking water rather than agriculture.