Water Resource Availability and Quality in the North Africa Region Under Climate Change

Countries lie within the north of Sahara are the most African driest sub-region, with an average annual rainfall ranging between 50 mm/year in the southern part and 1000 mm/year in a few parts of the extreme Northwest. These conditions result in limited and unevenly distributed water resources. In Northern African countries, people and economies are increasingly threatened by the progressive change in climatic conditions over the past decades that has resulted in growing pressure on freshwater resources. Climate change is regarded as an additional burden that affects water resources of all related environments, like soil and ecological goods and services. This chapter is meant to provide a clear picture of the status of water resources and an assessment of progress made so far by Northern African countries in addressing the challenges related to the sustainable management of water resources under climate change. It also reports on current and future trends of non-conventional water resource (re)use to preserve the environment and public health from waterborne disease and to guarantee food security under variable climate conditions. Current and anticipated climate change policies and strategies are examined together, accounting for national and regional strategies for mitigating impacts of extreme events on water quality and pollution sources. Selected technical solutions and research challenges that impact water resource development and management in North Africa are discussed, accounting for current and future climate change and variability.