The conversion of seawater or brackish water to fresh water is known as?

Desalination is the process specifically designed to remove salts and minerals from seawater or brackish water to produce fresh water that is suitable for human consumption or irrigation. This method is critical in regions where freshwater resources are scarce, and it helps meet the increasing demand for water due to population growth and climate change.

Other processes such as decontamination and purification apply more broadly to the removal of contaminants or impurities from various substances but do not specifically denote the removal of salt from water. Dehydration, on the other hand, refers to the process of removing moisture from a substance, typically in food preservation, and is not relevant to the conversion of seawater to fresh water. Therefore, desalination clearly stands out as the precise term for this specific water treatment process.