Opinion: Hydrogen risks trading carbon emissions for water stress

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As countries pursue green hydrogen development, environmental chemist Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo warns that the industry’s reliance on water could threaten already stressed ecosystems. He argues that sustainable hydrogen production must account for water availability, desalination impacts and the needs of local communities.

• “If we do not fundamentally rethink the hydro-ecological tradeoffs of mega-scale electrolysis, we are not solving the climate crisis. We are simply trading carbon emissions for localized hydrological collapse,” he says.

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo  is a Research Professor of Materials and Environmental Chemistry at Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus and Senior Editor of Critical Insights in Environmental Science and Technology journal. His work bridges molecular chemistry and industrial-scale solutions, focusing on translating research into practical applications that address global challenges at the water-energy nexus. 

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