Can we harness seawater desalination to revert continental drying?

There is mounting evidence of a net transfer of water from land to the sea, causing unprecedented continental drying, now estimated to contribute to global sea level rise besides glacier and ice cap melting. The depletion of aquifers due to overabstraction is a key driver of this trend. Halting continental water depletion and enhancing the recharge of continental storage is imperative and urgent. Reducing water demand through efficiency is key but not enough: we must revert the transfer of water from land to sea. A way to pump back water from sea to land is desalination. Can we regard it as a strategic priority? If so, under which conditions may it be regarded as sustainable from an environmental as well as an economic point of view?This presentation examines the potential and challenges of seawater desalination as a systemic solution to continental drying. It discusses how desalination and water reuse may support the restoration of the water cycle, enhanced carbon storage in soils and vegetation, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. At the same time it highlights the energy and brine disposal challenges, and the socioeconomic implications standing on the way for desalination to be a full-scale sustainable adaptation and mitigation option.