**2.5 Desalinization strategies**

The process to separate salts from saline waters or desalinization of either deep saline groundwater or seawater is a feasible alternative source for water in arid regions. However, the cost of desalinization remains higher than most other alternatives. A complex infrastructure is required, and the need for a close source of saline water makes this alternative impractical in many arid environments. The world's largest desalinization projects are in the Arabian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait), United States, and Japan, all which are wealthy countries with long seashores; lately, in Northwest Mexico some desalinating plants are being installed, with uncertainty about operational costs in the near future.
