CAP Town
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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
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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
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Hydraulic aspects
Jufrah
Bassin Occidental
Oued Mya
Bassin Artésien
Syrte
Exutoire Tunisien
Chotts
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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
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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
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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
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• 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
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• 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
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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
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• 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
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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
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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
