A review of desalination technologies and its impact in the Philippines

Water scarcity is a growing issue that the world faces to this day. The pursuit of sufficient, safe, and affordable water becomes the main driving force to balance the gradually increasing water demand. The objective of this review article is to investigate the use of desalination technology as a strategy for the water shortage problem in Southeast Asia, with a focus on the Philippines. Different desalination technologies are reviewed while discussing advantages as well as disadvantages. These technologies are divided into two groups: thermal distillation and membrane separation. Under thermal distillation are technologies such as solar desalination (SD), multi-stage flash (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), vapor compression (VC), humidification-dehumidification (HDH), and freezing (FRZ). Under membrane separation are reverse osmosis (RO), forward osmosis (FO), electrodialysis (ED), and membrane distillation (MD). The researchers present several emerging desalination technology ap-plications in the Philippines and the challenges to overcome when establishing these technologies. The authors also discuss the outlook of desalination technologies in the Philippines, including some hybrid desalination systems. This review article primarily aims to provide researchers and water purification industrialists insight into the potential of desalination technologies in water-stressed areas. This article also emphasizes the critical need for sustainable water production facilities. If action is not taken in the immediate future, communities face severe challenges in accessing clean water, healthcare, and sanitation.

Automated summary

This review article examines different desalination technologies, including thermal distillation and membrane separation, discussing their advantages and disadvantages. The researchers also discuss the challenges faced in implementing these technologies in the Philippines and present some emerging applications. The primary aim of this article is to provide insight into the potential of desalination technologies in water-stressed areas for researchers and water purification industrialists, emphasizing the importance of sustainable water production facilities.