Sustainable seawater desalination: Current status, environmental implications and future expectations

Desalination is the process of making the saltwater of the Earth's oceans drinkable and could be a solution to droughts, especially in warmer and drier regions. However, the concerns of high cost and ecosystem degradation have always restricted the growth of the desalination industry and necessitated further studies and corrective actions. As desalination is becoming essential for our planet, the development of sustainable and energy-efficient technologies to produce clean water is a key research topic. Considering the worth of seawater desalination to fulfill the needs of the Earth habitants, this article explores how this process can be made less problematic to use as a real solution, not just a temporary opportunity. Desalination methods will play a key role, so all the major options and their environmental footprints are discussed, considering the energy requirements in particular of each process. A brief but up-to-date summary of the current status and future trends of desalination technologies is provided. Available equipment and procedures that are being developed to make desalination a sustainable process are explored. Finally, based on a detailed review, we highlight the future trends and issues to make informed decisions pertaining to the future research and development projects of this sector.