For a better use of irrigation water in the NWSAS

For a better use of irrigation water in the NWSAS : Assessment and recommendations

The North Western Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS) extends over 1,000,000 Km2 shared by Algeria, Libya and Tunisia. It is home to considerable but almost non-renewable water resources.

With the aim of establishing sustainable development in the region and in partnership with the three countries, The OSS, firstly, developed studies that made it possible to have a better hydraulic knowledge. However, with the growing demands, particularly in the agricultural sector, and the need to preserve this low-renewable resource, the OSS made a study on water valuation.

This study focused on two components:

A socio-economic component that had a survey carried out with 3, 000 farmers and made it possible to assess the way farms operate and learn more on the irrigator and irrigation processes. The survey also helped identify the main constraints to water productivity, to evaluate their economic impact and to issue recommendations to better value the resource.

An Agricultural Demonstration Pilots component that had the farmers implement 6 demonstration pilots at the farm level in the three countries, on different topics. The technical innovations aimed to consolidate cropping systems, save and value water.

After two agricultural campaigns, the results made it clear that there could be efficient technical solutions for the North Western Sahara Aquifer System to upgrade and develop cropping systems in the farms.

This study also made it possible to make recommendations for sustainable agriculture and better conservation of the resource.