Socio-economic aspects of irrigation in the SASS basin

Socio-economic aspects of irrigation in the SASS basin: a Better Water Valorization for Sustainable management of the Basin

"The North-Western Sahara Aquifer System (SASS) is a basin of over 1,000,000 km2 shared by three countries (Algeria, Tunisia, Libya) whose water reserves are substantial with an almost fossilized aspect.

Previous studies on the SASS had focused on the characteristics and operation of the aquifer as well as the evolution of abstractions, but rarely on the valuation of the water. Phase III of the SASS project aims to restore this equilibrum by promoting the sustainable management of water resources which is the most limiting factor to any stable economic activity.

This study related to socioeconomic aspects of irrigation represents one of the two main components of the SASS III project. It aims to enrich the achievements of the hydrogeological knowledge of water resources through socio-economic and environmental data. It analyzes the operation of farms and especially the actual behavior of the irrigators with particular emphasis on ability to adapt to the challenges that threaten the sustainability of the development.

The analysis of surveys done on 3,000 farmers helped identify the main constraints to water productivity, but also to quantify the scope of their economic impact and to make recommendations to enhance the value of the resource."