CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

Social - Economy of Social - Economy of North-Western Sahara Aquifer SystemNorth-Western Sahara Aquifer System

NWSASNWSASAlgeria – Libya - Tunisia

Achievement of the NWSAS Aquifer projectAchievement of the NWSAS Aquifer project

Fourth Biennial IW Conference

Cape Town, July 30Cape Town, July 30thth – August 04 – August 04thth, 2007, 2007

Global Environment Facility

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

NWSAS limit

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

Hydraulic aspects

A Management model built at basin scale 1.000.000 km2

Three sub-regional models:

An integrated information System

Involvement of the techniques of the three countries in risky areas

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

Hydraulic aspects

Jufrah

Bassin Occidental

Oued Mya

Bassin Artésien

Syrte

Exutoire Tunisien

Chotts

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

COUNTRIES 2000 2030

Algeria 1750 4200

Tunisia 497 571

Libya 540 1260

Total 2787 6031

 Evolution of water demand for irrigation

Social & Economic aspects

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

Irrigated agriculture

• High level of water consumption : 6 000 to 25

000 m3/ha/yr

• Inadequate irrigation techniques performance

• Excessive parcelling out of the irrigated

exploitations

• Lack of maintenance of the drainage networks

• Lack of fertilization of soils

• Woman represents less than 5% of farmers

Social & Economic aspects

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

Threats and Risks

Rarefaction of easily mobilizable water :• Increasing water cost• Conflicts on the allowance and the tariffing of water• Reduction of the water for irrigation• Soils salinisation (scrubbing, drainage)

Reduction of Outputs:• Reduced farmers livelihoods• Impoverishment of the farmers• Increase in unemployment

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

• Permanent salty lakes• Seasonal salty lakes

Sebkhas, Chotts and water plansSignificant role on the

hydrological, ecological and

economic plansSource of salinisation Risks: zones of rejections,

discharges… etc. •Oases• Places with intensive agricultural activities

Importance of ecological and economic plans

Risks : stranding, salinisation, hydrous & wind erosion .

Main types of wetlands

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

• The majority of the Sahara soils is saltedOrigin geologic Increased by :

• Proximity of the salty groundwater

• Inadequate irrigation practices

• Deficiency of drain network

• Strong evaporation

More than 95% (in Algeria) and 40% (in Tunisia) of the irrigated surfaces in Algeria are strongly

affected by salt

Salty soils

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

Recommendations according to 3 axes  : 

Urgent need for integration of the zone’s natural constraints and the associated eventual risks in all the development perspectives for the

NWSAS zones.

Conclusion : Environment & Social-Economy

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

• Adoption of the sustainable development concept at all decision making levels.

• Best assistance for the economic and diversification of regional economy

• To take jurisdiction and financial measures to assist and service the different categories of agricultural exploitation

• Reduction of the extension plans of the irrigated surfaces

1 – Strategic Axe

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

2 – Curative Actions

• Rehabilitation of the damaged irrigated perimeters (drainage, network of irrigation, revised water quantities and frequencies of irrigation…)

• Good management to avoid wasting

CAP Town

31/07- 04 / 08/07

3– Preventive Actions

• Reasonable use of non conventional water resources

• Fiabilisation of the agricultural statistics

• Sensitizing all stakeholders (actors/partners)

• Strengthening promoters and farmers (Training and continuous recycling of the popularizers and farmers)

• Introduction of new irrigation techniques

• Setting up of monitoring and evaluation system for cultivation and soils degradation