Title: Water scarcity and solar desalination systems in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a case of Northern Cyprus

Authors: O. Phillips Agboola; Fuat Egelioglu

Addresses: Sustainable Energy Technologies Centre, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Eastern Mediterranean University, Gazimagusa, TRNC via Mersin 10, Turkey

Abstract: Water is definitely physically scarce in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the Mediterranean region with less than 1000 m³/capita/year. Water scarcity in these regions is a function of both water supply and water demand as both applies in most of the countries. Using the Falkenmark indicator the Mediterranean region will see increased deterioration in the availability of renewable water. The severe impacts of the non-availability of renewable water in these regions are cushioned by the development of desalination technology. Selection of the appropriate desalination technology, use of renewable energy and a proper method of dealing with high salinity wastewater discharge are very important measures necessary to mitigate the negative impacts of desalination activity, reduce desalination costs and make desalination sustainable and reliable. This work reviews the nature of water scarcity in the Eastern Mediterranean region and advances in solar desalination using the Northern part of Cyprus as a case study.

Keywords: solar desalination; Middle East; North Africa; MENA countries; Northern Cyprus; water desalination; water scarcity; aquifers; Mediterranean countries; solar stills; solar energy; solar power; high salinity wastewater; wastewater treatment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2014.067012

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2014 Vol.6 No.4, pp.436 - 448

Received: 10 May 2012
Accepted: 01 Jun 2013
Published online: 31 Jan 2015 *

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