Desalination: The Critical Global Technology That Needs Nuclear Power
Desalination: The Critical Global Technology That Needs Nuclear Power
Publish Date: 2026-07-06 13:58:00
Source Domain: www.forbes.com
In this picture taken on March 30, 2023, Mohamed Ali al-Qahtani, Phase General Manager at the Ras al-Khair water desalination plant, owned by the Saudi government’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation, inspects desalinated drinking water from a tap at the facility in Ras al-Khair along the Gulf coast in eastern Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
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Water covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface yet risks of scarcity and limited access form one of the defining crises of the coming century. Only 2.5% of Earth’s water is fresh, and the majority of that is locked in glaciers or deep aquifers beyond easy reach.
Climate change together with urbanization and development of coastal areas, expansion of agriculture and industrialization have created conditions whereby governments worldwide face not just water challenges but crises of real severity. Global water consumption by humans has grown no less than 25% in only the last two decades, even as increased temperatures in many areas has reduced annual availability of freshwater.
The intense June 2026 heatwave centered on Europe proves that this is not limited to semi-arid or arid parts of the planet. Water demand in this temperature region reached a critical peak in nations like the UK and France, outpacing regional water supplies and straining infrastructure, thus forcing the use of emergency restrictions.
In truth, the crisis is about not water per se but clean water. Access to safe drinking water defines one of the most basic determinants of global health. An important report by the World Bank, released in late 2025, details the disturbing decline in freshwater and clean water reserves paired with rising demand, leading to what it calls the phenomenon of “mega-drying regions.” It lays out three essential areas that policy must address: how to better manage demand, improve water allocation, and increase water supply itself.
To fulfill…
