Desalination is the process of turning salty ocean water into drinking water, To deal with the increasing global water crisis, desalination plants have become the latest vogue, providing alternative fresh water sources. There were about 14,500 facilities in 2010 and approximately another 240 units under construction. The global number of desalination plants is expected to continue to rise for the foreseeable future. This paper will look at the characteristics of desalination plants and outline the main economic and environmental challenges for their sustainable development. It concludes that this development is challenged by issues involving capital costs and energy consumption, gas emissions and the negative impact on the marine environment.
