ABSTRACT
Urban water demand is second only to agricultural water needs and accounts for more than 20% of total worldwide water use (Figure 29.1).
Until recently, desalination plants were limited to the waterscarce but oil-rich countries of the Middle East and North Africa, and to some tropical and subtropical islands. However, today, water sourced from desalinated seawater and brackish groundwater has become a commodity for many countries in order to satisfy their growing demand for water (Figure 29.2) [35]. Global desalination production includes 48% of water production in the Middle East (mainly in the Gulf States), 19% in Northern America, 14% in the Asia-Pacic region, 14% in Europe, and 6% in Africa [30].
