By Zahrah Green
Did you know that numerous nations, like the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, and the Bahamas, fulfill all of their water demands through desalination, or the conversion of seawater to freshwater?
Oceans encompass 70% of the earth's surface. They feed nearly three billion people and absorb 30% of the carbon dioxide produced into the atmosphere as well as 90% of the heat from climate change. They are increasingly supplying fresh water to a growing population.
While there is no scarcity of seawater, it is critical to understand and monitor the environmental effect of the continuously expanding number of desalination facilities. Desalination is the process of eliminating salts from water, and a byproduct of the process is harmful brine, which, if not managed, may destroy coastal and marine ecosystems.
For every litre of drinkable water generated, about 1.5 litres of chlorine and copper-polluted liquid are produced. When harmful brine is poured back into the ocean, it depletes oxygen and has an impact on creatures down the food chain.
Desalination provides approximately 50% of Saudi Arabia's drinking water (population of 34 million). According to a 2018 United Nations research, about 16,000 desalination units are already in operation in 177 countries, providing a volume of freshwater comparable to nearly half the typical flow over Niagara Falls. However, if left untreated, the poisonous brine that is often discharged into the sea risks disrupting food systems.
Rising water demands from population development, higher water use per capita, and economic growth, along with dwindling water resources from climate change and pollution, are aggravating water shortages in most parts of the world.
Unconventional water resources, such as those produced by desalination, are critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), but innovation in brine management and disposal is required: seawater desalination can extend water supplies beyond what is available from the hydrological cycle.
Fortunately, many desalination plants are in areas with plenty of sunshine where solar power can provide a more sustainable energy solution.
80% of wastewater globally ends up in our seas, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. UN Environment is aiming to avoid deterioration from land-based activities such as the operation of desalination plants under the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities. The Global Programme also hosts the Global Wastewater Initiative and serves as its secretariat. This Initiative is getting people to move away from waste removal and toward resource recovery. It focuses on capacity-building and training, promotion of best practices and technologies, awareness raising and communication, and addressing data gaps.
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