Desalination not the Answer
Desalination of seawater is often thought as a long-term solution to the world's shortage of fresh water. But desalination in fact poses a threat to the environment that could also hasten climate change; this coming after the environmental group WWF has had a global review of desalination plants.
They found that desalination is an extremely energy-intensive process, and generating energy usually results in substantial amounts of greenhouse gas emissions that promote climate change. Thinking that desalination will solve all future water needs means that the essential conservation of standard water sources in the form of rivers and wetlands is often ignored or downplayed.
The review shows that some of the world's driest places are turning to desalination, including Australia, the Middle East, Spain, Britain, India, China and the United States. These are all regions where water problems affect large, populous areas.
60% of the freshwater needs of the Arabian Gulf area are now met through desalination, while Perth in Australia may be looking to source one-third of its fresh water the same way. Spain is devoting an astonishing proportion of its desalinated water to agriculture - at 22%, the highest level in the world - and to holiday resorts in arid areas.
June 22, 2007 6:46 AM | Category: Technology, Water