This document summarizes a conference on the social-economy of the North-Western Sahara Aquifer System held in Cape Town from July 31st to August 4th, 2007. It discusses the hydraulic, social, economic and environmental aspects of the aquifer system shared by Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. Key points include increasing water demand that threatens to exceed supply, issues with irrigated agriculture practices leading to soil salinization, and recommendations around adopting sustainable development, rehabilitating damaged areas, and preventing degradation through improved management.

1. CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
Global Environment Facility
Fourth Biennial IW Conference
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Algeria – Libya - Tunisia
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2. CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
NWSAS limit

3. 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

4. CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
Hydraulic aspects
Jufrah
Oued
Mya
Bassin
Artésien
Bassin
Occidental
Syrte
Exutoire
Tunisien
Chott
s

5. CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
Social & Economic aspects
COUNTRIES 2000 2030
Algeria 1750 4200
Tunisia 497 571
Libya 540 1260
Total 2787 6031
Evolution of water demand for irrigation

6. CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
Social & Economic aspects
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

7. 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

8. CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
Main types of wetlands
• Permanent salty lakes
• Seasonal salty lakes
Sebkhas, Chotts and water plans
Significant role on the hydrological,
ecological and economic plans
Source 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 .

9. CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
Salty soils
• The majority of the Sahara soils is salted
Origin  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

10. Conclusion : Environment & Social-Economy
CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
Urgent need for integration of the zone’s
natural constraints and the associated
eventual risks in all the development
perspectives for the NWSAS zones.
Recommendations according to 3 axes :

11. CAP Town
31/07- 04 / 08/07
1 – Strategic Axe
• 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

12. 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

13. 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