Project 1 Problem Statement Page 1

Team 3 Members:
Abdulla Babikr, Fajer Alsulaiti, Aljouri Alsubaey, Mohammed Al Mohammadi
Dr. Naqaa Abbas
ENGL 210-502
Date: 16 March 2023
Desalination: A great solution with greater consequences
Problem
Desalination has become increasingly relied upon as a primary source of fresh water in many
countries, especially Qatar. The process of desalination removes salt and other minerals from
seawater or brackish water to produce fresh water suitable for human consumption or
industrial use. The desalination process involves using various technologies such as reverse
osmosis, distillation, and electrodialysis to remove the salts and other impurities from the
water. This process has become an increasingly popular method for providing fresh water in
areas with limited access to freshwater sources, such as in arid regions or coastal areas where
seawater is abundant. The desalination process adversely impacts the environment, including
increased greenhouse gas emissions and toxic waste that can harm wildlife (R.Al-Jayyousi,
2003). The high energy consumption associated with desalination plants releases large amounts
of carbon dioxide (CO2), a significant greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere (A country with no
water). Carbon dioxide emission contributes to global warming and climate change, which can
severely impact the environment, wildlife, and human life. Additionally, desalination plants
produce a large amount of toxic brine, which contains a variety of pollutants, including heavy
metals, organic compounds, and other hazardous substances (A country with no water). These
pollutants can enter the marine environment, contaminating the water and killing wildlife.
Furthermore, the brine is usually released into the ocean at a higher temperature than the
ambient water, which can create "hot spots" and disrupt the natural ecosystem's balance. The
rapid growth of Qatar's population and water scarcity has led to a shift in the country's water
supply, relying heavily on desalination. Desalination plants have created a significant
environmental problem, as toxic waste and greenhouse gasses are emitted into the
atmosphere, leading to a decrease in air quality, an increase in global temperatures, and a
decline in biodiversity in Qatar. The pollutants are particularly harmful to wildlife, as they can
cause respiratory and reproductive issues, disrupt ecosystems, and contaminate the food chain.
Despite the environmental risks associated with desalination, Qatar continues to increase its
desalination capacity to meet its growing water needs. The lack of an effective environmental
management system has contributed to the ecological issues caused by desalination plants. This
has resulted in a significant environmental burden, as Qatar must now address the
consequences of its desalination plants to protect its wildlife and the environment.
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Figure 1: Shows the life-cycle environmental impacts of desalination through the years in Qatar.
Purpose
Our purpose as a team is to explore and find different solutions to the problems caused by
desalination plants. A country being highly dependent on desalination as its only water source
causes many side effects. As a team, we decided to look at the problems that affected the
environment the most, like the emission of greenhouse gasses as well as toxic waste that’s
harmful to wildlife. Through careful research and study, we want to find a realistic solution that
is both feasible and suitable for Qatar, that can reduce the emission of toxic gasses and waste
into the environment.

Scope
The scope of this problem is both local and global. In Qatar, the issue of desalination's
environmental impacts affects Qatar and its neighboring countries. The release of greenhouse
gasses and toxic waste from desalination can directly affect the environment of Qatar, its
neighboring countries, and the broader global community. On a local level, the problem of
desalination's environmental impacts affects people in Qatar and its neighboring countries and
the local wildlife. The toxic waste and greenhouse gasses produced by desalination can directly
affect the local environment and the health of people and wildlife in the area (Freud, 1998). On
a global level, the environmental impacts affect the global climate, as the release of greenhouse
gasses can contribute to global climate change. This can have a direct effect on communities
around the world, as well as the environment. Qatar's 2030 Vision is a comprehensive
development plan to transform Qatar into a sustainable, diversified, and knowledge-based
economy by 2030. The vision emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability and
the need to balance economic growth with environmental protection. The size of the problem is
large and complex, as it involves environmental, social, and economic issues. One key initiative
of Qatar's 2030 Vision is developing a sustainable and efficient water management system.
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Figure 2: Shows the future demand of water estimates of each sector. The total water demand is estimated until
the year 2050. The water balance approach is applied to estimate the amount and type (desalinated water,
groundwater or treated wastewater) of water required in the network.

The future demand estimates for each sector shown in Figure 2 are directly related to the
problem of desalination environmental impact in Qatar. As Qatar's population grows and water
scarcity increases, the demand for freshwater will continue to rise, and desalination will become
an increasingly relied-upon source of freshwater. However, as discussed in the problem,
desalination has significant environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions and
toxic waste that can harm wildlife. Therefore, it is crucial to estimate the future water demand
accurately and apply water management approaches that prioritize sustainability and
environmental protection. The water balance approach applied with the help of Figure 2 can
help estimate the amount and type of water required in the network, allowing for better
planning and management of water resources in Qatar. By utilizing this approach, Qatar can
reduce its reliance on desalination and promote the use of sustainable and efficient water
desalination processes, reducing the impact on the environment and wildlife.
The government aims to reduce the reliance on desalination and increase the use of recycled
water and other sustainable freshwater sources. Additionally, the government has invested in
research and development of new desalination technologies that are more energy-efficient and
produce less waste. These initiatives are crucial to reducing the environmental impact of
desalination in Qatar and ensuring that the country remains committed to its sustainability
goals. It is vital to consider the various factors impacting the problem, such as freshwater
availability, population growth, and the economic impact of desalination. It is also essential to
consider the different factors that may be impacting the decisions of people in Qatar, such as
cultural and social norms, access to resources, and economic incentives, and to consider the
different perspectives of those impacted by the problem, such as local communities, wildlife,
and global communities (Akpinar & Youm, 2021). The impact of desalination on greenhouse
gasses and toxic waste on wildlife in Qatar is a significant environmental problem that must be
addressed in line with Qatar's 2030 Vision. The government of Qatar must continue to invest in
sustainable and efficient water management practices, promote the use of renewable energy
sources, and develop new technologies to reduce the environmental impact of desalination. By
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addressing this issue, Qatar can ensure its people's sustainable and prosperous future while
protecting the environment and wildlife for future generations.

Objectives
The objective is to look for doable solutions to reduce the toxic waste and greenhouse gas
emissions produced by desalination plants in Qatar, and to develop a sustainable standard of
living for generations to come as one of the aims of Qatar’s 2030 Vision. To measure whether or
not our purpose is achieved we should do the following:

● Find an alternative process that is more environmentally friendly.

● Calculate the cost efficiency of this process while keeping in mind the environmental
impact.
● Associate the solution with Qatar 2030 Vision as well as the global Sustainable
Development Goals
● Calculate the percentage of toxic waste after implementing the solutions and compare it
with the percentage before the solutions.

In order to evaluate our solution we will:

● Look at successful solutions to the same problem in neighboring countries.

● Ask engineering professors for their opinion on our solutions.

Previous Research and solutions

Seawater desalination is the leading method of obtaining pure fresh water from seawater, it
simply extracts salts from saline water to make it drinkable. The first-ever desalination plant was
installed in Curacao, Netherlands in 1928 (Khordagui, H.K., 1999). The rapid rise in population
over the past 50 years has increased the demand for daily freshwater, which also increased the
demand for a high-performance cost-efficient solution. Desalination is currently the leading
process in addressing water scarcity globally. Desalination is common in countries with large
bodies of saltwater around them. This is clear as the middle east currently accounts for 53% of
the world's desalination plants.

Figure 3: Shows world geographical desalination plants per geographical area (%)
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Water scarcity has been a very serious problem for Qatar during its early days as the main way
people lived was by being scattered around the country or living a nomadic lifestyle (Al-Attiya, F,
2013). The first ever desalination plant in Qatar was established in 1953 and the second
desalination plant was established in 1962 in Ras Abu Aboud. Qatar's rapid increase in
population resulted in an increase in the desalination process to supply the increase in demand.

The process of desalination developed over the years and there are currently two significant
methods of desalination; thermal and mechanical. Thermal desalination is a very general term
for desalination. Generally, seawater passes through a distillation column in which the water is
boiled at a temperature below its normal boiling point by reducing the pressure. The water is
then turned to vapor and the remaining salts go to the brine solution. The water vapor is then
condensed and the water is then considered pure and safe for drinking. Thermal desalination is
split into different branches which obey the same concept, these methods include Multistage
Flash (MSF) distillation, Multieffect distillation (MED), and Vapor compression (VC) (Shatilla,
2020). On the other hand, mechanical desalination, also known as reverse osmosis, is done
using a different approach. A polymeric membrane is set up to filter out the salts within the
water and give pure drinkable water (Greenlee, 2009). Both methods of desalination provide
two streams; a brine solution with highly concentrated salts and the other with fresh clean
water.

While desalination is a high-performance solution that supplies 99% of Qatar’s water as well as
the rest of the gulf countries it does have negative environmental impacts (Rahman, 2018). The
environmental impacts can be divided into two aspects: air pollution and water pollution. All
methods of desalination result in water pollution which affects wildlife and sea creatures, as the
brine solution that results from producing fresh water is highly concentrated in salts. Thermal
desalination requires a source of heat to boil the water which is usually done by burning fossil
fuels, this results in greenhouse gas emissions which cause air pollution in addition to water
pollution. Mechanical desalination via reverse osmosis requires electricity which is commonly
powered by power plants using fossil fuels. The carbon footprint of the desalination process is
0.4-6.7 Kg CO2/m^3 (Tal, 2018). This number is expected to increase as the demand for clean
fresh water increases in the next couple of years.

Current research and Solutions

As the awareness of the environmental impact of desalination increased in the past 20 years
there has been a shift in trying to limit the negative impact of desalination on the environment.
According to statistica.com, Qatar has produced 691 million cubic meters of desalinated water
in 2020, compared to 557 million in 2016.

Currently, most countries including Qatar and the gulf are slowly moving away from thermal
desalination and starting to use membrane desalination at a higher rate than before. Membrane
desalination is less dependent on fossil fuels compared to thermal desalination but it still has a
negative environmental impact, which is due to the electricity that powers the process coming
from fossil fuel plants.
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Researchers are looking at the possibility of using renewable energy as a source of powering
desalination plants. The main options for renewable energy are solar thermal, solar
photovoltaics (PV), wind, and geothermal energy. All of these options have pros and cons
depending on the geographical location of the plant and the weather and climate surrounding
it. For the gulf regions specifically solar thermal and solar photovoltaic cells are two of the best
options as sunlight is not an issue in the region.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), there have been several
hopeful attempts into using renewable energy as a source of energy for desalination plants.
Solar thermal desalination along with innovative desalination technology can be a feasible
alternative as this has been applied in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants which can perform
thermal desalination and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination. The German Aerospace Center
(DLR, 2007) has shown that CSP MED is more efficient than CSP RO in the Arabian peninsula as
seawater has a high salinity level.

Photovoltaic (PV) desalination uses PV cells as a source of input energy to run the desalination
process and can be implemented in RO or thermal desalination. This has been implemented in
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Riyadh Saudi Arabia, and Oshima Island, Japan (IRENA, 2012). PV
cells still remain a costly investment though.

Wind Desalination is another feasible solution that aims to use the electrical and mechanical
power generated via a wind turbine to run the desalination plant. Several applications of wind
desalination have been seen in Spain and the Canary Islands (IRENA, 2012). This option is
usually efficient in coastal areas.

Geothermal desalination produces both heat and electricity so it can be useful for RO
desalination as well as thermal desalination. There has been a suggested geothermal
desalination plant project in Greece which is supposed to produce 1920 cubic meters of water
per day (IRENA, 2012). Geothermal desalination is significantly a low-cost alternative but
requires a high upfront investment cost as well as the exploitation of geothermal resources.

Qatar has been stressing environmental development in its 2030 national vision and prioritized
it by including environmental development as a pillar of the vision. In order to protect the
environment Qatar aims to shift towards renewable energy resources and steer away from the
traditional use of fossil fuels and LNG as sources of energy. Looking at alternative energy
sources for water desalination is a great step forward to achieving environmental development
in Qatar.

User Needs
Desalination is a process that involves the removal of salt and other minerals from seawater to
produce fresh water. Although desalination has become an increasingly popular method of
producing freshwater, it has negative environmental impacts. In Qatar, the primary users
affected by these environmental problems are the wildlife and the environment. The increased
levels of greenhouse gas emissions and toxic waste resulting from the desalination process have
Project 1 Problem Statement Page 7

led to a decrease in air quality, an increase in global temperatures, and a decrease in

biodiversity. The pollution from toxic waste can harm wildlife and disrupt ecosystems, causing
respiratory and reproductive issues and contaminating the food chain. These negative impacts
pose a significant threat to the environment and its inhabitants, making it imperative to address
the problem effectively.

Secondary users affected by this problem are the people who rely on desalination plants for
their water supply. With Qatar's growing population, the corresponding increase in water
demand has led to a shift towards relying heavily on desalination. However, this has resulted in
a significant environmental burden, including greenhouse gas emissions, toxic waste, and a
decrease in air quality. Secondary users' needs and wants are focused on access to a reliable
source of freshwater, which is necessary for the survival and well-being of people in Qatar.

The different needs and wants of primary and secondary users may require different solutions.
For example, primary users' needs and wants are focused on protecting the environment and
wildlife in Qatar from the negative impacts of desalination, such as greenhouse gas emissions
and toxic waste. In contrast, secondary users' needs and wants are centered around ensuring a
reliable and consistent supply of fresh water. However, it is essential to consider the
environmental impact of meeting the secondary users' needs and wants.

The primary users' needs and wants may require solutions that focus on reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and toxic waste. Therefore, the recommended solutions must take into account
the negative environmental impact of desalination on wildlife and ecosystems in Qatar.
On the other hand, the secondary users' needs and wants may require solutions that focus on
ensuring a reliable and consistent supply of fresh water. It is essential to balance these different
needs and wants to create an effective solution that benefits both primary and secondary users.

Possible Solutions
The environmental problems caused by desalination in Qatar necessitate a comprehensive and
innovative solution that takes into account the challenges posed by limited space and the need
for operational efficiency. The available space for implementing solutions may decrease as
Qatar's population continues to grow, making it necessary to find innovative approaches to
address the problem. The recommended solution should operate within a specific area, and the
size and scope of the project will be limited by the available space. Therefore, the team
responsible for implementing the solution will need to consider the available space when
designing potential solutions.

To ensure that the solution is effective and feasible to implement within the given timeframe,
the team will need to work efficiently and effectively. A thorough investigation of the problem
and a review of potential solutions are necessary to identify the most viable options. A crucial
factor in selecting the solution will be its environmental impact. The solution should focus on
reducing greenhouse gas emissions and toxic waste while also prioritizing ensuring a reliable
and consistent supply of fresh water to meet the needs and wants of secondary users.
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According to data from the Qatar Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the country's per
capita water consumption has increased by more than 50% over the past decade, and the
demand for freshwater is projected to continue to rise. As a result, there is a need for innovative
solutions to meet the growing demand for water while minimizing environmental impact.

One potential solution is the implementation of a hybrid desalination plant that uses renewable
energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The use of solar and wind energy in the
desalination process could significantly reduce the carbon emissions produced. According to a
study by the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, implementing renewable energy
sources in the desalination process could reduce carbon emissions by up to 75%.

Another potential solution is the treatment of outlet brine, which is produced during the
desalination process, to minimize water pollution. The outlet brine can be treated and
converted into useful chemical products, such as magnesium hydroxide, through a series of
reactor vessels. This process could significantly reduce the amount of outlet brine waste
generated and mitigate its negative environmental impact.

The implementation of the recommended solution may require government approval and
industry buy-in, which will need to be considered during the solution design process. The
materials used in the solution will also need to be sustainable and environmentally friendly.
The team responsible for the implementation will need to assess the environmental impact of
the materials used, as creating or shipping materials could harm the environment. Therefore,
the team will select the most sustainable and effective solution that minimizes the
environmental impact of the materials used.

In conclusion, the environmental problems caused by desalination in Qatar require innovative

solutions that consider the limited space and the need for operational efficiency. The
recommended solution should focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and toxic waste
while ensuring a reliable and consistent supply of fresh water. The implementation of renewable
energy sources and the treatment of outlet brine are potential solutions that could significantly
mitigate the negative environmental impact of desalination in Qatar.
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References

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3. Freud, P. (1998). International collaboration on capture, storage and utilization of

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7. Five things to know about desalination. (n.d.). UNEP. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from
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