A dehumidification system for removing water vapor from an airstream, the system comprising: a plurality of dehumidification and cooling stages, each dehumidification and cooling stage comprising an evaporative cooling unit and a dehumidification unit, the dehumidification unit having a first and a second channel separated by a membrane, wherein the membrane is configured to facilitate removal of water vapor from an airstream flowing through the first channel by facilitating passage of H 2 O from the first channel to the second channel through permeable volumes of the membrane while substantially blocking all other components of the airstream from passing through the membrane; a control system configured to control operating conditions of the dehumidification units and the evaporative cooling units; a pressure increasing device fluidly coupled to each of the plurality of dehumidification and cooling stages, wherein the pressure increasing device is on the second channel side of the membrane and is configured to create a lower partial pressure of water vapor within both the first and second channels, the partial pressure in the second channels being lower than in the first channels, such that the H 2 O moves through the membranes to the second channels; at least one condensation device configured to receive the water vapor from the pressure increasing device and condense the water vapor into the liquid water; and at least one water transport device configured to transport the liquid water from the at least one condensation device, wherein the control system is configured to continually monitor pressure and temperature conditions of both water vapor upstream of the pressure increasing device and water vapor downstream of the pressure increasing device to ensure that water vapor expelled from the outlet of the pressure increasing device has a partial pressure of water vapor proximate to a minimal water vapor saturation pressure in the at least one condensation device, and wherein the control system is configured to control the pressure increasing device to increase the pressure of water vapor at an outlet of the pressure increasing device to a partial pressure of water vapor proximate to a minimal water vapor saturation pressure in the at least one condensation device suitable for subsequent condensing into liquid water. a plurality of dehumidification and cooling stages, each dehumidification and cooling stage comprising an evaporative cooling unit and a dehumidification unit, the dehumidification unit having a first and a second channel separated by a membrane, wherein the membrane is configured to facilitate removal of water vapor from an airstream flowing through the first channel by facilitating passage of H 2 O from the first channel to the second channel through permeable volumes of the membrane while substantially blocking all other components of the airstream from passing through the membrane; a control system configured to control operating conditions of the dehumidification units and the evaporative cooling units; a pressure increasing device fluidly coupled to each of the plurality of dehumidification and cooling stages, wherein the pressure increasing device is on the second channel side of the membrane and is configured to create a lower partial pressure of water vapor within both the first and second channels, the partial pressure in the second channels being lower than in the first channels, such that the H 2 O moves through the membranes to the second channels; at least one condensation device configured to receive the water vapor from the pressure increasing device and condense the water vapor into the liquid water; and at least one water transport device configured to transport the liquid water from the at least one condensation device, wherein the control system is configured to continually monitor pressure and temperature conditions of both water vapor upstream of the pressure increasing device and water vapor downstream of the pressure increasing device to ensure that water vapor expelled from the outlet of the pressure increasing device has a partial pressure of water vapor proximate to a minimal water vapor saturation pressure in the at least one condensation device, and wherein the control system is configured to control the pressure increasing device to increase the pressure of water vapor at an outlet of the pressure increasing device to a partial pressure of water vapor proximate to a minimal water vapor saturation pressure in the at least one condensation device suitable for subsequent condensing into liquid water.