A membrane-based desorption cooling method for passive thermal management is presented. The module includes: (i) a covering layer for thermally conducting and transferring heat from a device to a solution; (ii) a solution layer for confining H2O/absorbent mixtures in a multi-compartment frame; (iii) a membrane layer configured to act as an interface between the solution and air; and (iv) a supporting layer configured to increase the mechanical strength and including apertures to permit mass transfer from the membrane through the supporting layer. The present membrane-based desorption cooling module is able to be used for thermal management of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, electronics, batteries, or any other devices that require heat removal.