ABSTRACT
Desalination today makes an essential contribution to water supplies in many countries around the world. There are an estimated 16,000 operational desalination plants currently deployed, and the expectation is that the number of plants will double in the next 25 years. Water from desalination plants serves different purposes in different countries: for domestic use, for agriculture, and for industry. The key factors that determine its deployment are discussed in this chapter, as are the limitations, from geography to the cost of the water produced. The mainstream commercial technologies are presented, and those in development are introduced. A quantitative assessment of the current deployment of plants by technology, region, and sector are also presented in this chapter.
