Algeria’s alliance with Tunisia and Libya over Saharan water

Algeria, Tunisia and Libya have settled an agreement to share Saharan water and have agreed to reasonably and sensibly utilise it in a large aquifer, according to Africa News via AFP on 30th April.

The minister of water sources in Libya, Hosni Aouida,  stated that “The challenges facing our water resources, whether related to climate change or rising demand, require us to redouble our efforts and strengthen coordination and integration among ourselves.”

For many years, the North-Western Sahara Aquifer System has been exploited. The water system is titled as one of the world’s biggest groundwater reserves to date. Tripoli’s declaration reiterates the importance of collaborating and unifying with its regional partners to guarantee sustained use of the non-renewable source. 

Lately, the extraction rate has increased significantly. This is caused by boreholes, which are deep drilled shafts in the terrain. These are estimated to measure 1,000 metres beneath ground level. 

Below Algeria, almost two-thirds of the underground reserves are predicted to contain more than 40 trillion cubic metres of fossil water. Less than a third is beneath Libya and eight percent under Tunisia.

The system is designed to mitigate pollution and exploitation of the water. This is ensured by strategies such as monitoring and management, which is fairly distributed between the three countries. 

The head of research at the Libyan Ministry of Water Resources, Hussein al-Talou, recently made remarks outlining the foundation of the mathematical models. Hussein al-Talou declared “Water levels will be monitored, as well as other risks such as environmental pollution.”

As the three countries seek to use the Saharan water fairly, this will initiate numerous benefits across the region. This will help manage day-to-day use of the finite source and safeguards against rapid depletion. The importance of this in the region is clear upon considering that Libya is known for being one of the driest countries globally. Because of this, the country relies on the gigantic, Gaddafi-era “Great Man-Made River” as it moves fossil water from the south.  

Africa News via AFP, Maghrebi.org.