Water Management: Resources, Drinking Water & Desalination

Name: Water Management: Resources, Drinking Water & Desalination
Rating: 4.3 (160 reviews)

Learn how to Manage Earth Most Precious Resource in a Thirsty World

Created byGreen Courses

Last updated 7/2026

English

What you'll learn

Learn the Importance of Managing Water Resources
Discover Current Challenges in Water Resources Management
Learn Innovations and Emerging Solutions for better Water Resources Management
Learn (IWRM) Integrated Water Resources Management
Discover the importance of providing safe water to consumers and the risks of untreated water
Discover how the process of water treatment works
Learn why we need desalination to produce safe water
Learn the importance of desalination for water management worldwide
Discover the steps of Desalination technology and how it works : pretreatment, reverse osmosis filtration and post-treatment
Learn energetic, economic and environmental aspects of reverse osmosis desalination

Course content

3 sections • 34 lectures • 3h 56m total length

Chapter outline1:49
Introduction9:34
Challenge 1: Climate Variability6:24
Challenge 2: Water Scarcity4:30
Address water scarcity by balancing blue water and green water, managing surface water and groundwater, and coordinating fair pricing and monitoring to allocate water while respecting environmental and social needs.
Challenge 3: Quality Degradation6:54
Challenge 4: Groundwater Depletion6:17
Challenge 5: Governance Gaps5:19
Focus on Water use in AI Data Centres11:24
Solution 1: Advanced Process Technologies7:06
Solution 2: Digital & Smart Systems8:34
Boost monitoring, predictive capability, and operational efficiency across water treatment, distribution, and bus scale management using AI, ML, IoT, digital twins, and decision support.
Solution 3: Nature-based Solutions8:55
Solution 4: Policy and Governance6:03
Future Perspectives6:04
Conclusion & References3:22

Introduction3:06
Explore how drinking water is sourced from surface waters and groundwater, treated in plants, and distributed globally to meet domestic, agricultural, and industrial needs.
How many have access to safe drinking water?5:10
What are the risks of unsafe drinking water?10:08
How do natural and urban water cycles work?3:55
How do water treatment facilities work?14:26
What are the challenges of providing safe drinking water?9:51
How can we help save water?2:37
Save water at home by fixing leaks and practicing indoor and outdoor efficiency, from turning off taps and shorter showers to efficient irrigation and washing full loads.
Conclusion & References1:17

01 Introduction: Why Do We Need Desalination?12:16
Explore the drivers of desalination, including rapid population growth and rising water stress, and learn how converting seawater into drinking water supports coastal regions.
02 How Much Desalination Is Being Used Worldwide?9:03
Trace the global growth of desalination from ancient origins to more than 100 million m³/day capacity. Reverse osmosis dominates, with growing investments and regional disparities across the globe.
03 Why Should We Desalinate Seawater Before Using It?8:38
04 What Is Membrane Filtration?9:50
Explore how membrane filtration uses pore-size distinctions from microfiltration to reverse osmosis to remove bacteria, viruses, proteins, and dissolved salts, comparing polymeric and ceramic membranes and fouling considerations.
05 What Is Membrane Fouling?9:09
06 How Does Pretreatment Work?15:27
Explore how feedwater pretreatment protects reverse osmosis by reducing biological, organic, inorganic, and particulate fouling through conventional, membrane, and hybrid methods, including screening, chlorination, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration.
07 How Does Reverse Osmosis Desalination Work?8:02
08 How Does Post-treatment Work?5:10
Learn post-treatment steps in desalination, including neutralization, remineralization, and disinfection to stabilize water and prevent corrosion. See how calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity addition, plus chlorine dosing, ensure safe drinking water.
09 What are the Energy Consumption & Cost of RO Desalination?6:14
Explore the energy and cost dynamics of seawater reverse osmosis desalination, including specific energy consumption, capital and operating costs, and how feed salinity and plant size influence overall affordability.
10 What Are The Environmental Impacts of RO Desalination?7:49
Assess the environmental impacts of reverse osmosis desalination—construction, noise, intakes, chemicals, brine disposal, and greenhouse gas emissions—explore environmental impact assessments and mitigation for sustainability.
11 Conclusion & References1:17
Explore how reverse osmosis transforms ocean water into drinkable water, highlighting the science, engineering, and growing desalination efforts amid energy, economic, and environmental challenges.
Bonus Lecture: Discover More Great Courses!0:33

Requirements

No requirements or prerequisites are needed.

Description

Water scarcity is the defining challenge of our time. This comprehensive course takes you on a deep dive into the technical and strategic world of water management, providing the expertise needed to secure our most vital resource.
Designed for consultants, environmental professionals, and sustainability advocates, this course moves beyond theory to explore the engineering reality behind the water we use every day. You will gain a 360-degree perspective through three focused chapters:
- Chapter 1: Water Resources – Grasp the global hydrological landscape. We analyze the intersection of climate change, urbanization, and policy to understand how to build a sustainable, circular water economy.
- Chapter 2: Drinking Water Supply & Treatment – Learn the essential engineering behind the tap. You will explore the end-to-end journey of water, from sourcing and distribution to advanced purification, filtration, and disinfection processes.
- Chapter 3: Seawater Desalination Engineering – Unlock the future of water supply. We break down the complexities of membrane-based desalination, covering energy efficiency, brine management, and the design principles driving modern large-scale facilities.
Whether you are looking to advance your career in civil and environmental engineering or simply want to understand how we can engineer a water-secure future, this course provides the actionable knowledge and technical insights to get you there.
Enroll today to turn the tide on water scarcity and become an expert in the systems that sustain our world.
Keywords: Water Resources management, desalination, water treatment, water management, water conservation, drinking water, engineering, sustainability

Important Notice:

This course has been prepared with a specific audience in mind: Consultants and Professionals looking for general knowledge about water resources management, desalination, drinking water treatment, and does not delve into engineering design and calculations.

That’s why:

- The course is suited for non-specialists and provides high-quality and concentrated knowledge about water resources management, desalination, and drinking water treatment

- The course is not suited for expert engineers and researchers looking for calculations and designs of water facilities.

Who this course is for:

Sustainability Professionals, Consultants, ESG professionals, Anyone curious about Water.

Water Management: Resources, Drinking Water & Desalination

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Chapter 1:Water Resources: Challenges, Solutions and Perspectives14 lectures • 1hr 32min

Chapter 2: Drinking Water Supply & Treatment8 lectures • 51min

Chapter 3: Seawater Desalination Engineering12 lectures • 1hr 33min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: