Causes and consequences of the Macta basin closure, Algeria

ABSTRACT

The Macta River basin in Algeria is under pressure. A water accounting of the basin demonstrates the severity of the crisis, with a net water depletion rate estimated at 93–142%, depending on the assumptions made. This reflects the overexploitation of the aquifers whose annual depletion is estimated at between 86 and 126 Mm³. This paper first discusses the causes of basin overbuilding and the over-allocation of water, and then analyses the economic, social and environmental consequences. It calls for a stricter water accounting of river basins in Algeria as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDG 6 are implemented.

KEYWORDS:

• Algeria
• Macta River basin
• water accounting
• basin closure
• irrigation paradox

Acknowledgements

We thank the managers and officials of the MWR who allowed access to the data needed for this work and accepted to be interviewed.

Author contribution

Part of this research was carried out for a doctoral thesis at the university of Bejaia (Algeria) and supported by the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) (UMR G-Eau) in France. N.K.: data collection, fieldwork, writing, analysis of results and discussion. F.M.: orientation and supervision of the research, writing, editing and precious help in the analysis of the results and discussion.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This article and the research on which it is based were supported by the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MERS) of Algeria, the Ministry of Water Resources and Water Security of Algeria (MRESH) and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) in France, namely the UMR G-Eau of Montpellier.