Legal measures to reduce marine environmental risks of seawater desalination in China

Seawater desalination has become the focus of many countries to solve the problem of lacking freshwater resources. Seawater desalination in China launched in the 1960s and has developed rapidly since entering into the 21st Century. However, the technology of seawater desalination causes marine environmental pollution. After exploring the regulatory framework and legal system of reducing environmental risks of seawater desalination in China, it can be found that the existing regulatory framework and legal system have played a positive role in the treatment of seawater desalination, but it is undeniable that there are still many problems. How to effectively prevent or reduce the marine environment risks caused by seawater desalination and improve the existing regulatory framework and legal system in China are discussed. Specifically, in addition to further improve the Marine Environmental Protection Law, China shall integrate seawater desalination into unified regulation of marine resources, clarify statutory functions of various regulatory departments, improve the coordination mechanism, and promote marine environment and ecology protection by institutional construction.