Energy-efficient alternative desalination and cooling systems are pivotal in addressing the incredible increase in energy and water demands worldwide. Sorption-based technology is a unique system that could help in solving the energy and water crisis and cut down the overall carbon footprint. Such systems’ performance relies on the adsorption characteristics of the employed nanoporous adsorbent. Although different nanoporous materials were developed, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are fast becoming a key working substance in water capture applications due to their interesting adsorption characteristics. Owing to the chemical tunability of MOFs, scientists developed thousands of MOFs in the last few decades. With the increasing interest in MOFs, this review paper provides a comprehensive survey of MOFs adsorbents and their roles in cooling and water desalination systems. Herein, three aspects are …