Water will be accessible to everyone: scientists have discovered a new method for obtaining this essential resource.

The collaboration between researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) and Chinese institutions has resulted in significant advancements in desalination technology. Scientists are optimistic that their innovations could address the global drinking water shortage, which is particularly pressing in light of climate change affecting the planet, according to LabOnline.

A study published in the journal Advanced Materials demonstrated how seawater can now evaporate faster than freshwater—a breakthrough that could benefit billions of people suffering from water scarcity.

The global water crisis is intensifying worldwide: 36% of the Earth's population already experiences severe water shortages for at least four months each year. By 2050, this number could soar to a staggering 75%. One of the key solutions to this issue is desalination, yet traditional methods are energy-intensive and environmentally hazardous.

Professor Haolan Xu and his team tackled this challenge by incorporating inexpensive clay minerals into a photothermal hydrogel evaporator for freshwater production. This innovation increases the evaporation rate by 18.8% compared to pure water, significantly improving upon previous years when seawater evaporated 8% more slowly. The process involves enriching the air-water interface with magnesium and calcium ions through spontaneous ion exchange, enhancing efficiency without additional energy costs.

The durability of the system has been confirmed through prolonged exposure to seawater, maintaining its properties for several months. Given the vast scale of global desalination, even a slight increase in efficiency could prevent the loss of millions of tons of clean water. Researchers believe that their solution can be easily integrated into existing systems, expanding access to clean water in many regions.

Further testing will allow them to explore additional methods to increase the evaporation rate of seawater and apply the findings in practical desalination scenarios. This technology could help reduce the carbon footprint of desalination while simultaneously meeting global water needs, thus altering the landscape of the current climate and humanitarian crisis.

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