A number of desalination methods are considered to be “emerging,” meaning they have not yet seen widespread application because further development is required. Increasing the availability of water sources, decreasing the necessary amount of energy, and using fewer chemicals are the main goals for improving these technologies. Compared to traditional methods of purification, using chemicals results in less environmental damage. Both the feedwater’s origin and the desalination process significantly impact ecological balance. This chapter examines the effects of two novel desalination methods—membrane distillation and thermal based—and their impacts on the environment. This chapter contrasts the effects of current technologies on the environment with those of previous desalination methods. The initial evaluation of these technologies’ global impacts is conducted using qualitative methods. According to the results, the natural forward osmosis (FO) approach is the most ecofriendly option because it causes the least harm to the environment. It was better for the environment to use membrane or thermal-based desalination instead of reverse osmosis (RO) which takes up 61% of the total desalination processes. Research establishes that using waste heat to produce the thermal energy needed for desalination can reduce carbon emissions by 30%, significantly enhancing the environmental sustainability of the process. At the end, we conclude by offering some recommendations for future improvements to these novel desalination systems, aiming to maximize their potential environmental benefits on both local as well as global scales.