The Socioeconomic Impact on the Water Management in Algeria: Tlemcen as a Case of Study

Abstract

Water shortages experienced by the locality of Boujlida-Tlemcen are not only a consequence of the drought which has occurred in the city over the last decade, but also a delicate and difficult management issue due to the use of archaic investigative tools. The main idea of the study is the analysis of data provided by l’Algérienne Des Eaux (ADE) about water production, distribution and consumption, in order to evaluate the efficiency of the water supply network, and on interviews to assess the role of water in the organization of the relationship between habitat and users. The data analysis has shown that the water supply network of Boujlida is efficient at 55% meaning that about half of the volume introduced into the network is lost and that the water bill covers 92% of the total cost of water. The survey highlighted the irregularity of water supply in the 160 households surveyed where the majority receives water 3 to 5 times a week, and use water only for cooking and not for drinking. The majority buys bottled water and/or fills water from fountains, and 55% had a water tank at home to satisfy their water needs during water shortages. Only 42% of the housings are connected to the sewage network. Those results confirms that the water and sanitation management need a serious taking charge by decision-makers to improve its efficiency, where the water demand as much as on supply is of critical importance in a country with limited fresh water resources. Reducing water demand must be a major long-term challenge for the management of water resources that integrates sustainability issues in terms of environmental and economic dimensions. The ultimate aim is to consume less by consuming better.