Book excerpt: Due to industrialization and increasing population, water demand continues to grow at compound annual growth rates of 7–8%. The current demand is also intensified by increased water utilization for hand washing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, around 20,000 desalination plants operating around the world produce 100 million cubic meters of water per day to supply 300 million people. These desalination plants are a major source of environmental and marine pollution due to their inefficient operation. Scientists and researchers are encouraged to develop out-of-box solutions to achieve future sustainability. This book addresses key challenges related to the desalination industry.