Manish Kumar: Why don’t we get our drinking water from the ocean?

Why don’t we get our drinking water from the ocean?

Humans have been transforming seawater into potable freshwater for millennia. Today, billions of people can’t access clean drinking water, and 87 different countries are projected to be “water-scarce” by 2050. So, how can we use seawater desalination to combat water scarcity? And can we do it without further harming the environment? Manish Kumar digs into how scientists are creating freshwater. [Directed by Vitalii Nebelskyi, and action creative agency, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

Drinking seawater is dangerous, causing cells to lose water and organs to fail. While humans have used desalination since ancient times, the challenge has never been greater—2 billion people lack clean water, and dozens of countries may soon face scarcity. Modern desalination plants can produce billions of liters daily but often rely on fossil fuels and generate harmful waste. Promising alternatives like reverse osmosis and wastewater recycling offer hope, but efficiency and environmental impact remain pressing concerns.