Algeria Claims Morocco Polluting Shared Water Resources, Minister Says at UN Convention

"The western and southwestern regions of Algeria are suffering negative effects resulting from the practices of the neighboring state, Morocco, obstructing and destroying transboundary surface waters," he said in a speech delivered during the 10th Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, according to the official agency APS. According to him, the contamination of incoming waters in Algeria from Morocco has in particular deteriorated the quality of the waters of the Hammam Boughrara dam in the wilaya of Tlemcen, due to the contamination of the waters coming from Moroccan territories.

Taha Derbal will add that the sharp reduction in the waters of the Ghir wadi due to the construction, on the Moroccan side, of the Kadoussa dam has led to the drying up of the lake of the Djorf Torba dam located on Algerian territory. This is a "methodical drying up" of this important dam, he denounced. This situation is not without consequences on certain regions. It has led to "the collapse of ecosystems and biodiversity, affecting in particular the fauna and flora, in addition to the serious economic and social repercussions on the inhabitants of the affected Algerian border regions" in the Saoura region in southwestern Algeria. Other consequences: disappearance of 43 species of rare birds and animals, disruption of the migratory routes of migratory birds.

In March 2023, the 200,000 inhabitants of the city of Béchar only had water from the tap one day out of 3, or even one day out of four, due to the construction of the Kadoussa dam in Morocco. Thanks to an impressive water transfer from Boussir, 180 km north of Béchar, the situation has returned to normal. 11 boreholes were drilled in record time and pumping stations and several reservoirs were built, allowing the city to be supplied with 25,000 to 30,000 m³/day.