The UN Environmental Protection Program (UNEP) has noted that drought is becoming a worldwide problem, which is why a state of emergency has been declared in some countries. According to relevant reports, at least 50 per cent of the world’s population faces water shortages for at least one month of the year. Water shortages are predicted to increase in many regions due to climate change and increasing demand for water, fueled by population growth and economic development.
Water and energy are interdependent and both are critical resources. Namely, water is used in energy production, so the energy sector accounts for about 10 per cent of the total use of fresh water, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
In contrast, energy is also needed for water supply, which is mostly extracted from lakes, rivers and oceans, transported through pipes and canals, then filtered and finally delivered to the end user.
At a time when water scarcity is becoming a daily occurrence around the world, alternative ways to supply it are being investigated. One very common method is desalination, that is, the separation of salt from seawater to obtain drinking water. This process is energy intensive, often requiring using over 1kWh of power per cubic metre of filtered water. IEA data shows that global demand for energy used for desalination has almost doubled since 2010 and based on current trends, it can be expected to double again by 2030.
More:
- WORLD WATER DAY – WATER FOR PEACE
- NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN FUKUSHIMA LEAKS THOUSANDS OF LITRES OF CONTAMINATED WATER
- EU DIRECTIVE WILL ESTABLISH THE POLLUTER PAYS PRINCIPLE FOR WATER TREATMENT
According to reports, about 21,000 desalination plants are currently active in close to 150 countries, with half of them located in the Middle East and North Africa. More specifically, desalination covers most of the daily water needs in many countries such as Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. It is interesting to note that Saudi Arabia plans to build a completely new city that will house nine million people by 2045 and that will depend on desalinated water from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to supply the city’s population.
The problem is even greater because, for example, in the Middle East more than 90 per cent of the energy used for these purposes comes from fossil fuels. Precisely for this reason, as one of the solutions for the preservation of these two critical resources, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources that reduce energy needs related to water is frequently mentioned.
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