Morocco - Algeria

Morocco - Mauritania

Transboundary aquifers in Maghreb: 2 Case Studies towards Regional Cooperation

Prof. Abdelkkader LARABI

Director of the Regional Water

Centre of Maghreb

Mohammed V University, Rabat

E-mail: larabi@emi.ac.ma

Near East and North Africa Land and Water Days, 15 – 18 December 2013, Amman, Jordan

Creataceous basin

Bir Guendouz-Boulanouar aquifer

S 1 = 64100 Km2

S2 = 3000 km2

watershed and drainage system in Morocco, showing the Jorf Torba dam located in Algeria very close to the border.

- A large part of Guir basin is located in the High Atlas and the rest is located in Algeria (Hammad du Guir).

- Water flow is maily coming from High Atlas, storms and deep aquifers under springs

I- Transboundary watershed Morocco-Algeria:

II- Transboundary aquifers Morocco-Algeria:

Importance of the Senonian aquifer

• Water supply for drinking and Irrigation of traditional

Agriculture in Oases.

• Recharge of The Guir river.

Synthetic geological section (NNW-SSE), through the Cretaceous basin

The Plioquaternary covers the central and southern parts of Boudnib. It is composed of silt, sand and silt with a variable thickness hardly exceeding 25m.

Continental Tertiary extends to the east and south to form the Hamada Guir (sandstones, conglomerates, clays, siltstone, limestone, gypsum and anhydrite). Tickness : can exceed 400 m in southwest of Boudnib.

Senonian outcrops in North and South Boudnib Sehli – axis (sandstone and clay gypsiferous).

The Cenomanian (limestones with marly sandstone).

Functioning scheme of the khettara in south of Maghreb region.

a b

Distribution of water coming from Khettara (a) and aeration wells for maintenance (b)

III- Transboundary aquifers Morocco-Mauritania

Location and geological formations of the Bir Guendouz area

• Water supply for drinking of the Bir El Guendouz

population in Morocco

• Water supply for drinking of the Boulanour and Noudibou

cities

• High salinity due Seawater intrusion from the west part of

the aquifer system (overexploitation)

• The aquifer extends also to Senegal.

IV- Practices in the case studies

• Management of these aquifers for water supply is made independently

• Groundwater mining and Pollution, especially in the shared aquifer system between Morocco and Mauritania

• Informations and data on these aquifer systems are shared between scientists in the framework of EU Maghreb projects including Morocco , Algeria and Tunisia:

• Regional Water Centre of Maghreb (implemented in Rabat) to train Maghreb Professionals in Water Resources Management; Water Resources Studies, Organise Thematic Seminars and Workshops

• Biskra, December 2012 on Scarce Water Resources Management and Climate Changes;

• Annaba, April 2013 on Management of Transboundary Aquifers : Case studies from Maghreb (NWAS)

• Msc and PhD students exchanges between Maghreb Universities in the framework of Research projects and and mobilities

• Database to be developed and available for both countries

V - Challenges for the case studies

• Avoid irreversible degradation of these shared aquifer systems,

• Establish Dialogue/constructive collaboration between both countries,

• First Precondition is a GOOD UNDERSTANDING of the Characteristics and functionning of the shared aquifers,

• Establish cooperation between the 2 countries taking into account the common benefitof IWRM,

• Optimise the social, economic and environmental benefits of water,

• Create appropriate institutions (Laws, committees, joint authorities, …): A/Res/63/124 of the UN is an excellent reference,

• Involve international organisations to assist, especially for the regional cooperation and conducting Joint Projects as potential partners with the parties (OSS, ….):

• Database to be developed and available for both countries,• Regional monitoring network should be designed and covers both areas,

• Share and Exchange updated information,

• Agreement and Joint Structure of the study and developement must be created.

VI - Perspectives for the case studies

• Encourage Improving the Understanding of TBA of these cases studies,

• Establish Organisational and institutional tools to implement IWRM,

• Legal and Administrative tools,

• Economic and financial tools,

• Training and professional improvement tools,

• Tools for participation and cooperation to ensure exchange of information and develop long lasting – cooperation,

• Learnt lessons from NWAS and NSAS

• Organise a preliminary workshop training to debate the technical issues and to come out with suggestions,

• Encourage Msc and PhD students exchages between both countries to study these aquifers.

• Web site of the regional Water Centre for better communication.

The New ParadigmFrom:

technocratic to integrated

disciplinarity to multidisciplinarity

subjective to participatory

supply management to demand management

deterministic to risk analysis