Author: OSS
Published in: 2004
Project:
Theme: Water resources management
Type: Studies and reports
ISBN: 9773-856-02-3
Country:
North-Western Sahara Aquifer System: Mathematical model, volume IV
"Serving as a driving and facilitating force, OSS, in carrying out the SASS Programme, relies first and foremost on the expertise available in specialised, well experienced institutions of the three countries as well as on broad international partnership.
The North-Western Sahara Aquifer System, (NWSAS), shared by Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, has considerable water reserves that cannot be totally exploited and are only very partially renewed. The NWSAS area over a million km2 and is composed of two major aquifers layers, the Continental Intercalary and the Terminal Complex. Over the last thirty years, abstraction by drilling has risen from 0.6 to 2.5 billion m3/yr. This rate of abstraction involves many risks: strong impact on neighbouring countries, salinisation, elimination of artesianism, drying up of outlets, etc. Simulations on the NWSAS Model have enabled OSS to pinpoint the location of the most vulnerable areas and map the risks facing the aquifer system. The three countries concerned by the future of the NWSAS will need to work together to develop a joint management system for the basin. A consultation mechanism needs to be instituted and gradually put into operation.
This final report gives an account of all the works conducted in the framework of NWSAS project, between January 2000 and June 2002, for the design of a mathematical model of the North-Western Sahara Aquifer System.
This document is organized in three parts:
One first part called: Characterization of the Aquifer System and Conceptual Model, namely including the geological, hydrological and hydro-dynamic characterization of the basin,
The second part is called: Design of the Mathematical Model, describing the construction and calibration phases of the model in steady and transient states,
The third part is devoted to the Execution of Predictive Simulations. This part successively develop: the definition and execution of exploratory simulations, the construction of a NWSAS miniature model to investigate the reservoir, the definition and performing of predictive simulations."
