The Increasing Demand for Desalination
"Desalination techniques have usually been utilised in arid zone countries with high incomes arising mainly from oil production. Potable water provided to the public by desalination has to be heavily subsidised by the governments concerned. In reviewing the alternative water resources available in other arid and semi-arid zone countries when appraising water sectors for providing aid for development, it becomes increasingly evident that there will be a greater demand for desalination by the turn of the century. In fact, desalination has already imposed itself on some developing countries, in spite of its high capital cost and the subsequent subsidies required, since the only alternative may be to convey water for long distances, possibly from other countries. The paper reviews the cost of producing water in developing countries and points out that when it comes to providing water the price will be paid, however high it may be. Reducing the cost of desalinated water, however, is not only dependent on improving desalination technology, but also on improving the management of the conservation and utilisation of desalinated water. The paper therefore emphasises that when desalination is proposed it is important that it should be carried out in conjunction with improving the efficiency of the water supply system, re-using sewage effluent and substantially increasing storage capacity. Finally, the paper attempts to indicate areas where further research is required and to show the need for collaborative action by arid zone oil-producing countries in setting up an institutional framework that would enable their extensive experience with desalination to be shared, and permit the establishment of a body of expertise that could work towards reducing the present, often prohibitive, cost of desalination."--Title page
Alternative title: | Desalination |
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Year of publication: |
1989
|
Authors: | Dabbagh, T.A. ; Al-Saqabi, A. |
Publisher: |
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. |
Subject: | Desalination |
Saved in:
freely available
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