Exploring the potential of interfacial solar evaporation for Sustainable Development Goals: A review

Water scarcity and energy sustainability are pressing global challenges that require innovative and environmentally friendly solutions for freshwater production. Interfacial solar evaporation (ISE) has emerged as a promising solution for producing clean water, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite growing interest in ISE, its broader contribution to sustainability remains underexplored. This review provides an evaluation of ISE from technological, environmental, economic, and social dimensions to understand its contribution to sustainable development. This study provides a sustainability-oriented Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to examine the ISE. Key strengths include energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and suitability for decentralized applications. Evaporators with costs as low as $1.05 m^-2 and $1.11 m^-2, show the feasibility of a scalable and affordable water treatment solution. Weaknesses include salt accumulation, scalability limitations, and concerns about long-term durability. The alignment of ISE with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Climate Action (SDG 13), is discussed. This work highlights the potential of ISE for sustainable freshwater production and identifies the key challenges that hinder its widespread adoption for sustainable water management systems.