Management of desalination brine in Qatar and the GCC countries

Reliance on desalinated water has been ever-increasing due to increase in population and over-exploitation of natural fresh water resources. Desalination process produces fresh water at the expense of natural environment. Desalination waste, known as brine, is the major pollutant of seawater. However, there has not been a unique brine management technology that could work effectively everywhere. Therefore, effective processes are required to treat and manage the brine specific to the desalination plants. In Qatar, 99.9% of the potable water is supplied by desalination. In the GCC, for every 1 m3 fresh water produced, 2 m3 brine is generated and discharged into the Arabian Gulf (sea). As a consequence, intensive desalination processes constantly decrease the quality of seawater for desalination and continuously impact the marine life. This paper critically reviews and discusses the available treatment and management methods of brine and recommends suitable methods to Qatar and the other GCC countries.