Processes for recovering fresh water from the oceans - of which men have dreamed since antiquity - have changed markedly in the last 20 years. In fact, it has become possible so to increase the productivity of the technical steps involved that the cost of production of such water is almost three orders of magnitude smaller than for other large volume industrial products. However, the monographs and comprehensive reviews which have appeared to date in this field have been prepared by specialists for specialists. In accordance with the tradition and objectives of the Gmelin Handbook, this bibliography has been prepared to provide access to aII of the ways in which fresh water can be, and has been, obtained on an industrial scale from the ocean. Production of fresh water from sea and brackish waters amounts to almost two million cubic meters per day, and this is increasing by about 25% per year. This means that it will increase nearly tenfold in 10 years.