Intermittent or low energy supplies are a problem for agricultural settings, where grid networks may not always stretch. Better ways to capture and store renewable energy resources could increase the sustainability of using desalinated water, making it cheaper and easier to use. 

“This is a moment of innovation. You can see that in Saudi Arabia, in Oman, in the Emirates and Qatar and in North African countries. New practices and policies are being developed around water,” said Shannon McCarthy, General Secretary of the International Desalination Association, who has worked extensively in the Middle East throughout her career...

Read full article: https://www.natureasia.com/en/nmiddleeast/article/10.1038/nmiddleeast.2017.170