Desalination no holy grail says nature group

Abstract

Desalination According to the report, Making water: Desalination – option or Distraction for a thirsty world, seawater desalination is rapidly emerging as one of the major new sources of freshwater for the developed and some areas of the developing world. However, this dramatic upscaling of the industry is occurring against a backdrop of unresolved questions on the potential environmental impacts of large-scale processing of seawater habitat and the discharge of increasing volumes of concentrated brine wastes. “Seawater desalination may have a place in the world’s future freshwater supplies, but regions still have cheaper, better and complementary ways to supply water that are less risky to the environment,” reported Jamie Pittock, Director of WWF’s Global Freshwater Programme. Potential impacts of desalination include brine build-up, greenhouse gas emissions, destruction of prized coastal areas and reduced emphasis on conservation of rivers and wetlands.

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