FOR almost half a century, making drinking water from the large-scale desalination of seawater has been the preserve of a few desert states with pots of cash and precious little fresh water. But that’s changing fast. In recent weeks, two cities with temperate climates – London and the Chinese city of Tianjin – have announced plans to build large desalination works.
And desalination is gaining popularity in dozens of other cooler countries with shrinking rivers and dwindling water reserves. Could the 21st century, often billed as the era in which wars will be fought over water, instead see our water woes solved?…
