ABSTRACT
Desalination offers an excellent technical solution to freshwater availability, but should always be considered alongside other alternative freshwater concepts such as integrated water management, rain and storm water harvesting and water reclamation. An integrated freshwater solution is the idea of a “Freshwater Wetland”. This chapter focuses on different alternative concepts, ranging from integrated resource management to end-of-pipe solutions like recovery of fresh water: integrated freshwater management, rainwater harvesting and water reuse. Integrated freshwater management solutions have been developed worldwide, long before desalination techniques were available. In developing countries, the largest amount of freshwater is generally needed for irrigation. In natural reserves, some measures are possible to enhance fresh rainwater retention. Some solutions are described, for river and delta systems in general, and for different types of land use: agriculture, nature, and built environment. A possible solution for the built environment is the uncoupling of combined sewers.
