The Warka tower, named after the Ethiopian fig tree, is designed to provide water through three methods: rainwater, fog harvesting, and dew condensation.

The Warka Water team designed the towers to fit in with the natural landscape of Ethiopia and to utilize local materials. The design derived from traditional Ethiopian basket-weaving techniques as well as from studying the structures of several plants and animals such as Namib beetle’s shells and lotus flower leaves.

The tower consists of several main parts, stands at 31 feet tall and weighs 176 pounds. The triangular frame of the tower, made from bamboo elements, can be easily transported and fixed with hemp ropes. Around the tower, there are eight fixation points that attach ropes to the tower, giving it more stability. The ropes are all made locally with natural fibers from banana tree leaves. The last part of the tower is a canopy that provides shade and allows the tower to serve as a gathering place, much like the Warka tree.

With the help of eight people, the tower can be easily constructed in ten days, using no mechanical tools.

The tower is designed to collect water from the air and fog, but primarily from rainwater. When it rains, a permeable mesh, within the bamboo structure, allows air to pass through and captures the falling water droplets. The collector, a large funnel-shaped tube, sits below the mesh and stores the water droplets as they roll off. A smaller funnel filters the water from the collector to an 800-gallon water tank. The tower is expected to garner 13 to 26 gallons (50 to 100 liters) of water per day. People are able to retrieve this water by gathering at the base of the tower and pouring it out of a spigot.