New Delhi: 70% of Earth is covered with water, yet only one percent of it is consumable. With population explosion, change in people's lifestyle, industrialization and other factors there is a persistent decrease in availability of fresh water. Climate change only adds to the dearth.
We have heard of ancient mariners boiling seawater and using sponges to absorb water from steam in the past. But today we have more sophisticated methods of desalination. For instance: Multistage flash distillation, reverse osmosis, electro dialysis, etc.
However, it still takes a lot of energy to squeeze drinkable water from salt water. Most techniques involve usage of non-renewable resources, which would further create mammoth trouble in the coming years.
"Desalination is energy-intensive, but it doesn't have to be fuel-intensive. That's what really matters" said Aaron Mandell, co-founder and chair of WaterFX, one of the companies pioneering the renewable approach.
“The focus should be not so much on consumption, but where the energy comes from” he added.
For Oil states and other water-starved regions across the globe, new desalination operations with another abundant resource need to be channeled. Here of course the source would be—the sun.
