Perth’s plunge into desalination comes at a critical time, when water is emerging as the world’s next major natural-resources challenge. Water use, like oil, is surging as economic growth takes off in China, India and elsewhere. According to the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka, about a fifth of the world’s population, or more than 1.2 billion people, already lives in areas with insufficient supply. Due to changing rainfall patterns linked to climate change, many places — including parts of Australia, the American Southwest, India and Western Europe — are getting as much as 10% less rain than they used to. There’s also a global push to expand agriculture, the world’s biggest guzzler of water, to meet growing food and alternative energy demand.

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Source: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB12051823472