Algeria elevates water security as strategic priority amid long-term supply push

Algeria elevates water security as strategic priority amid long-term supply push

By Dr. Hana Saada

Water management has been placed at the centre of Algeria’s policy agenda following directives issued at the latest Council of Ministers meeting chaired by Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday in Algiers.

The president instructed the newly appointed Minister of Hydraulics to draw up a revised national water management plan aimed at strengthening the sector and ensuring long-term water security. He also called for an updated and more responsive monitoring system capable of delivering rapid diagnostics and solutions in the event of supply disruptions.

Authorities said the objective is to build a more efficient and sustainable hydraulic policy, supported by expanded infrastructure investment, including desalination plants, treatment facilities and upgraded distribution networks.

Algeria has in recent years accelerated investment in seawater desalination, wastewater reuse and interconnection systems to address rising demand and regional disparities. Officials say these measures are designed to diversify supply sources and improve reliability in a country classified as semi-arid and increasingly exposed to climate stress.

The national strategy also relies on extensive dam construction and transfer systems linking regions across the country. Algeria currently operates more than 80 dams with a combined storage capacity of 8.3 billion cubic metres, with ongoing projects expected to raise this to 12 billion cubic metres by 2030.

Desalination is expected to supply up to 60 per cent of drinking water needs by the end of the decade, according to official projections, alongside growing use of treated wastewater for agriculture and industrial purposes.

The government says access to drinking water now reaches around 98 per cent nationally, while continued investment in “water mobilisation” infrastructure aims to consolidate supply security.

Officials describe the challenge ahead as striking a balance between rising consumption needs and environmental constraints, particularly in agriculture, which accounts for the bulk of water use. The emphasis, they say, is shifting towards integrated management combining efficiency gains, resource protection and demand control.

Authorities add that achieving long-term water security will require coordination across institutions, local authorities and consumers, as Algeria seeks to turn water management into a sustained pillar of national resilience.