A desalination research agenda fit for the 21st century

Desalination is expanding exponentially across the world. Yet, there is little research on the economic, institutional, and social dimensions of desalination, as well as on policy-relevant lessons for managing the risks and opportunities from this technology, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This perspective article proposes a broad research agenda anchored in five key themes – energy and materials, institutions and regulations, social dynamics and perception, strategic planning, and financial sustainability – and grounded in the principles of open science to help steer the sustainable and equitable roll-out of desalination globally.