2025-12-01 RESULTS IN ENGINEERING 2025 28(卷), null(期), (null页)
The global transition toward a green economy has intensified the focus on sustainable pathways within the water-energy-hydrogen (WEH) nexus. Green hydrogen is widely recognized as a promising route to decarbonize the energy sector, yet its reliance on high-purity water for electrolysis presents major challenges, particularly in desert and sub-humid regions where water scarcity is already acute. This review critically examines the WEH nexus with emphasis on water supply through seawater and brackish water desalination technologies, including multi-stage flash (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), and reverse osmosis (RO). It further analyzes the economic and environmental trade-offs of these approaches, from carbon intensity, brine management, operational costs, and opportunities for renewable energy source (RES) integration. By assessing desalination's potential to enable sustainable hydrogen production, this review highlights policy frameworks, technological innovations, and material advances required to reconcile water demand with energy transition goals, offering directions for research and future implementation strategies.