Solar Desalination for the 21st Century: A Review of Modern Technologies and Researches on Desalination Coupled to Renewable Energies (NATO Science for ... Security Series C: Environmental Security)

This book of the NATO Science Series presents the state-of-the-art of Desalination Technologies driven by Renewable Energies, highlighting the results achieved in the research field and presenting the potentialities of such technologies. It provides an up-to-date point-of-reference on the topic, giving an extensive overview of the current status of solar desalination, both from the research and industrial point of view. St The solar desalination workshop for the 21 century was sponsored by NATO program Security Through Science. In a great number of countries water scarcity, coupled with a significant growth in population especially in developing countries, poses the serious problem of supplying fresh water. The countries affected by water scarcity are found in the African, Asian, European and American continents, and also are on the southern and eastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Severe drought usually generates a general malaise in populations which are already affected by a number of social and poverty problems, which often lead to significant and uncontrolled emigration towards richer countries, especially if one takes into account the increasing economic and lifestyle gap between north and south Mediterranean countries. Emigration could be contained if basic life needs were guaranteed to the population in their homelands, particularly potable water supply. Abundant solar energy combined with desalination could provide a sustainable source of potable water, but unfortunately, the optimum configuration for solar desalination that would provide inexpensive fresh water is difficult to reach. Further exhaustive research, field developments, and proper mobilization and coordination of funding, research and development is needed to achieve this goal