Algeria, Tunisia, Libya Collaborate on Sahara Water Resource Management
Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya have formalized an agreement to collaborate on the management of their shared groundwater resources in the Sahara region. The development was announced Wednesday following a signing ceremony in Algiers, attended by officials from the three North African countries.
The pact, reported by Algeria’s official APS news agency, was signed by Algerian Minister of Hydraulics Taha Derbal, Tunisian Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries Abdelmonem Belati, and Libyan Deputy Minister for Water Resources Mohammed Faraj Qunidi. The agreement aims to establish a consultation mechanism that will enhance understanding and boost information sharing about the critical water resources shared by the three nations.
During the signing, the ministers emphasized the necessity for political commitment, substantial funding, and cooperation with academic and research institutions. These efforts are seen as vital for the successful operation of the new mechanism, which is expected to contribute to regional stability, as well as food and water security.
The shared groundwater aquifer, located along the desert borders of Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, ranks among the largest such reserves in the world. Approximately 70% of this aquifer lies beneath Algerian soil.
