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Algeria

Located in the north of Africa, Algeria is the continent’s largest country and about 80% of its surface area is covered by the Sahara Desert. Most surface water resources are located in a single region representing 7% of the territory and while significant underground water resources can be found in the south, most are non-renewable. Algeria’s adverse climate characteristics coupled with persistent drought result in high water stress worsened by the effects of climate change (FAO, 2024). 

The national priorities are integrated in the National Water Plan (PNE) and the Plans directeur d’aménagement des ressources en eau (PDARE: Master plans for the development of water resources), created by the Water Law and updated by executive decree in 2010 for a 20-year period.

The PNE establishes national objectives and priorities for water resource mobilisation, integrated management, transfer and distribution. It also sets the economic, financial, legal and organisational framework for achieving such goals. 

The PDARE defines strategic choices for water resource (including non-conventional waters) mobilisation, distribution and use, for each natural hydrographic unit. Its objectives include ensuring that water needs are satisfied, preserving water quality and quantity, and providing risk prevention and management.

Water Sector in Algeria

The National Focal Point in Algeria is the Agence nationale de gestion intégrée des ressources en eau (AGIRE: National Agency for Integrated Water Management). SEMIDE and the International Water Office (OiEAU) have led twinning initiatives with objective of creating a Water Information System providing support to AGIRE’s activities, facilitating data-collection for the PDARE, and complementing the Environmental Information System developed with the Observatoire National de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable (ONEDD: National Environment and Sustainable Development Observatory).

 Morocco is an active member of SEMIDE, actively contributing to the sustainable management of water resources and adaptation to climate change. In collaboration with SEMIDE, Morocco participates in various water management projects aimed at improving the efficiency of water resource use and promoting the sharing of knowledge and technologies in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Legal Framework

The latest version of the Water Law is dated 2009. The Law No. 05-12 relating to water contains 10 chapters and 183 articles. It defines the principles and rules relating to water resources use, management, and sustainable development.

Main Institutions

The missions of monitoring, evaluating, planning, mobilizing and managing the water resources in quantity and quality are the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works, Hydraulics and Basic Infrastructure, within which a separate Minister was appointed in 2023 for the Hydraulics division.

https://www.mh.gov.dz/ 

The Water Law establishes the institutional framework for integrated water management. The Conseil national consultatif des ressources en eau (National Advisory Council on Water Resources) is responsible for assessing strategies and instruments for the implementation of the National Water Plan. The Autorité de regulation de l’eau (Water Regulation Authority) oversees all public water services in particular regarding norm and regulation application and cost and quality monitoring. 

In 2011, the AGIRE was created by executive decree, under the supervision of the corresponding Ministry.

Drinking water supply in urban areas is provided by the Algérienne des Eaux (ADE) and sanitation is managed by the Office national de l’Assainissement (ONA: National Sanitation Office).  In rural areas, drinking water and sanitation are the responsibility of local authorities, the wilaya's hydraulic directorate (DHW), under the administrative authority of the Wali. Irrigation is managed by the Office National de l'Irrigation et du Drainage (ONID: National Irrigation and Drainage Office). 

Furthermore, the Agence Nationale des Barrages et Transferts (ANBT: National Agency of Dams and Transfers) is in charge of implementing the plans and programs for the mobilisation and transfer of surface water resources and is the contracting authority for construction and renovation projects. 

All studies and assessments of hydraulic resources falls under the authority of the Agence nationale des Ressources Hydrauliques (ANRH: National Hydraulic Resources Agency).


Area of expertise

Water resource management

Drinking water supply

Sanitation

Irrigation

Responsible authority

Ministry of Public Works, Hydraulics and Basic Infrastructure

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ABH

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The territorial water management

In 1996, an executive decree inscribed a definition of hydrographic basins and created 5 river basin agencies (ABH) for regional water management. After the creation of AGIRE in 2011, such agencies while maintaining their original purpose were attached to AGIRE as its territorial branches for basin-level studies and consultations on water management.

Main issues of Water Resource Management

In addition to the geographical disadvantages, Algeria is faced with high water resource exploitation and pollution. The current state of the water treatment infrastructure is unable to keep up with the levels of wastewater. The water transfer policy has furthered the preexisting unbalance between resource supply and demand. Moreover, rising urbanisation and coastal overexploitation have resulted in high contamination and salination levels of groundwater (PROGRESS, 2016).

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