Effect of climate change on water resources of the Algerian Middle Cheliff basin

Abstract

A B S T R A C TThe influence of climate change on the water resources of the middle Cheliff basin in Algeria was assessed with particular emphasis on the major issues related to water reserves. The Cheliff basin, which is one of the largest basins in the north of Algeria, is affected by water scarcity due to the expansion of industrial and agricultural activities with the population growth, on the one hand, and to a reduction in water resources caused by extreme droughts, on the other hand. The results of the current assessment showed a significant decrease in annual precipitation, ranging from 14 to 32%, and an increase in average temperature by 0.9˚C over the past 20 years. A mathematical model predicted a flow deficit ranging from 20 to 25% by the year 2050. Hydroclimatic characterization indicated that rainfall deficits and the increase in temperature will have an immediate and significant negative impact on the surface water flow and groundwater recharge. It was recommended that water resources managers need to develop effective strategies for the rational use of water since this will affect social and economic development.

Climate change vulnerability, water resources and social implications in North Africa

“…Indeed, besides the trends in water supply, several studies project a strong increase in water demand for this region due to population growth and economic development, indicating a higher water stress in the future (e.g., Milano et al 2012). Some studies provide hydrological scenarios on the scale of individual basins in Algeria (e.g., Benhamiche et al 2014;Elmeddahi et al 2014), Morocco (e.g., Brouziyne et al 2018;Tramblay et al 2013b) and Tunisia (e.g., Bargaoui et al 2013;Dakhlaoui et al 2017). Their results indicate a decrease in surface flows that is more pronounced under the RCP8.5 than under the RCP4.5 scenario.…”

Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Annual Rainfall Variability in the Wadi Cheliff Basin (Algeria) over the Period 1970 to 2018

“…This trend behavior was more marked for Morocco and Western Algeria. In particular, in Algeria, average annual rainfall evidenced a decrease beginning around the second half of the 1970s [14]. This tendency has been forecast to continue over the 21st century [15,16] and to be particularly significant in semiarid areas.…”

Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Water Resources: A Case Study of the Cheliff Basin in Algeria

“…Located along the Mediterranean Sea in Northern Africa, Algeria in particular has experienced a decrease in average annual precipitation that began around the second half of the 1970s as shown by a study of the Middle Cheliff watershed (Elmeddahi et al, 2014). Reduced rainfall will continue during the coming century (Ragab and Prudhomme, 2002;Giorgi and Lionello, 2008).This is especially noteworthy in semiarid regions.…”

“…Furthermore, generally, the more humid months are from November to February, while July and August are the driest months. In addition to decreasing annual rainfall, rising temperatures were also observed, with an average increase of 0.9 °C in Middle Cheliff Basin, for example as shown by Elmeddahi et al (2014).…”

“…Faced with these challenges, the country has introduced a new policy to more efficiently manage water resources via, the building new dams, who reached 16 dams with a capacity of 2.205 million m 3 according to the Ministry of Water Resources (Elmeddahi et al, 2014). Other projects are in progress (i.e., 5 new dams) which will provide an additional volume of 1608 Mm 3 y −1 intended for the irrigation and domestic water supply.…”