Novel solar-driven desalination and brine treatment methods for global freshwater security

Fresh water is critical for life and the survival and development of human societies, yet many places in the world suffer from shortages and stand to be further affected by human activities, including anthropogenic climate change. Better access to fresh water would increase the area of land available for agriculture, countering the expected worldwide food-shortage, as well as serving as a support to the forestry sector, which in Australia has recently experienced extreme droughts and bushfires.