ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF SEAWATER DESALINATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE GULF STATES - A REVIEW | ||||
| Zagazig Journal of Agricultural Research | ||||
| Volume 51, Issue 5, September and October 2024, Page 1001-1019 PDF (1.02 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/zjar.2024.391949 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Zohor S.G. Ali  ; I.M. Abdul Hameed; M.M. Al-Fiqi
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| Natural and Environ. Res. Dept., Fac. Asian Postgraduate Studies, ZagazigUniv.,Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The rapid increase in population growth and subsequent urbanization and industrialization has led to a global water demand. Hence, due to the challenges associated with accessing fresh water, desalination is increasingly being adopted to meet the global water demand. About 61% of the world's desalination capacity is made up of seawater desalination, whilst 30% is made up of brackish water desalination. Half of the world's desalination capacity is accounted for by membrane desalination, which mostly uses reverse osmosis desalination. The remaining half is primarily utilized for thermal desalination, which uses multi-stage flash distillation and multi-effect distillation. Water scarcity poses significant challenges in arid regions like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries due to constant population growth, considering the effects of climate change and water management aspects. This paper researches the relationships among water scarcity, energy-intensive desalination, and the development of renewable energy in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. It examines innovations in solar-powered desalination, considering both solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technologies, in combination with traditional thermal desalination methods such as multi-effect distillation (MED) and multi-stage flash (MSF). Utilizing bibliometrics, this report provides a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature for the assessment of the research landscape in order to recognize trends in desalination technologies in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries region, providing valuable insights into emerging technologies and research priorities. Despite challenges such as high initial investment costs, technical complexities, and limited funding for research and development, the convergence of water scarcity and renewable energy presents significant opportunities for integrated desalination systems in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Summarizing, this paper emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and international collaboration by addressing the complex challenges of water scarcity and energy sustainability in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries region. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| GCC; reverse osmosis; water resource; renewable energy; solar energy; water sustainability; solar thermal; high energy consumption; membrane fouling; environmental challenges | ||||
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