The continued challenge of capacity building in desalination

Desalination has become a major source of fresh water almost everywhere. The best choice for providing fresh water in the Middle East and North Africa, especially in the Arabian Gulf countries, was through seawater desalination with ground water as back up. Desalination in the Arabian Gulf countries is an example of the fast growth of the desalination industry. It is expected to show a steady growth in the coming years. Existing plants will experience expansions in their capacities. New plants will be constructed. The long experience of the Arabian Gulf countries in the desalination field together with massive desalting capacities represent a continued challenge in capacity building. More efforts in training for desalination technology are needed, together with human resources management, planning, academic education and research. A capacity-building program is necessary not only to improve the operation and maintenance of existing desalination plants but also to build an integrated adoption of this sustainable technology in the region. This paper will focus on discussing the need and necessity of research in desalination by reviewing possible improvement of the current desalination processes regarding lower water production cost, better utilization of energy, environmental aspects, etc. A training program for desalination technology to enhance human resources and expertise via academic education and research is outlined