Environment and Ecology Research Vol. 8(3), pp. 59 - 69
DOI: 10.13189/eer.2020.080301
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Desalination Projects in Algeria: What Are the Environmental and Economic Issues of Seawater Desalination?

Abderrahmane Djoher ^*
Faculty of Economic, Management and Commercial Sciences, University of Mohamed Ben Ahmed, Algeria

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, water resources fluctuate between the extremes. In one hand cyclones, floods and other climatic events provide water in overabundance, and on the other hand drought and desertification cause paralyzing scarcity and wretched living circumstances for the populations. This contrast between scarcity and abundance covers the whole planet, whether within the developed countries or within the developing countries. Algeria experienced more than a decade of drought, during which the conventional water resources were unable to satisfy the needs of the population, and this situation incited the Algerian authorities to look for other resources in order to ensure the provision of drinkable water to the population. The most adapted solution, which does not depend on the climatic riskiness, consists in seawater desalination. The objective of our paper is to show why Algeria opted for the desalination as a miracle solution for the problem of water scarcity and drought in the country. In one hand, Algeria is affected by the impacts of the global climate changes: abnormal temperature rise, drought, severe storms, a very low rainfall in the western regions and very high rainfall in the eastern regions of the country; and on the other hand, the desalination process has somehow solved the problem of drinkable water. Seawater desalination is sometimes presented as a miracle solution for the problems of scarcity in drinkable water. Besides being financially inaccessible to the poor countries (in terms of revenues or oil), these technologies are large consumers of energy, moreover their environmental impact issue is by far not yet resolved. Usually, the execution of desalination plants is a means to workaround problems of wastage or bad governance of water and to escape from the necessary reforms.

KEYWORDS
Water, Environment, Desalination, Crisis, Scarcity, Drought, Brine

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Abderrahmane Djoher , "Desalination Projects in Algeria: What Are the Environmental and Economic Issues of Seawater Desalination?," Environment and Ecology Research, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 59 - 69, 2020. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2020.080301.

(b). APA Format:
Abderrahmane Djoher (2020). Desalination Projects in Algeria: What Are the Environmental and Economic Issues of Seawater Desalination?. Environment and Ecology Research, 8(3), 59 - 69. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2020.080301.