A Chinese outdoor prototype uses a novel photothermal material to desalinate seawater with 90.2% solar absorption and 45.7% less energy, irrigating 5 sqm of farmland solely via sunlight, promising lower costs than bottled water at scale.
Iran faces an extreme water crisis exacerbated by a multi-year drought and recent conflict. Infrastructure damage, poor resource management, and climate change have depleted water supplies, leading to protests and potential rationing.
China's daily desalination capacity has surpassed 3 million tons, meeting the daily water needs of 15 million people. Projects are advancing, with innovations like "solar+storage+desalination" and breakthroughs in core technologies, achieving high domestic equipment localization rates and reducing energy consumption.
Several countries across the globe lack permanent surface rivers, forcing them to rely on advanced desalination, groundwater extraction, and historical water management techniques to sustain their populations and agriculture.
