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Water supply and demand balancing and forecasting in a semi-arid region of Algeria using the WEAP model: a case study of El Bayadh province

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Abstract

El Bayadh province, situated in southwestern Algeria, faces significant environmental challenges, including desertification, land degradation, and natural water scarcity, owing to its arid and semi-arid climate, which impedes the achievement of water-related Sustainable Development Goals. In such regions, decision-makers need methodologies that will allow them to develop a shared vision for the future of water resources, prepare for uncertainties, and adapt to ever-evolving challenges. This paper aims to assess water availability and demand under multiple scenarios that could plausibly unfold in the future, considering uncertain factors, such as climate change, policy options, technological development, and human behavior change, using the Water Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP) model. The study findings indicate a significant water supply–demand gap, resulting in substantial unmet water demand. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that water scarcity already impacts some agricultural areas. The results highlight the need to develop long-term strategies for the worst-case scenario and enhance preparedness for all response measures. Several adaptive solutions are proposed through this study, which can help water managers handle complex and interlinked water challenges.

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Materials and data used in the present paper are available under request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the National Agency for Sanitation and Water Resources Department of El Bayadh for their help. The authors would also like to thank the Stockholm Environment Institute for the WEAP software license granted to the first author. The authors would like to express sincere thanks to the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable insights and suggestions for improving the manuscript.

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No funding was received for conducting this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Laboratory of Water Resources, Soil and Environment, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Laghouat, P.O. Box 37.G, 03000, Laghouat, Algeria

    Abdelkader Hamlat, Badreddine Habibi, Azeddine Guidoum, Mohamed Sekkoum, Chadli Bendjedid Kadri & Abdelhalim Guerroudj

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  1. Abdelkader Hamlat
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  2. Badreddine Habibi
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  3. Azeddine Guidoum
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  5. Chadli Bendjedid Kadri
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  6. Abdelhalim Guerroudj
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Contributions

A.H., and B.H., designed the model and the computational framework. A.H., B.H., M.S., A.G., C.K., and A.G., collected and analysed the data. A.H., and B.H., performed the calculations. A.H., B.H., and C.K., contributed to the interpretation of the results.

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Correspondence to Abdelkader Hamlat.

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Hamlat, A., Habibi, B., Guidoum, A. et al. Water supply and demand balancing and forecasting in a semi-arid region of Algeria using the WEAP model: a case study of El Bayadh province. Sustain. Water Resour. Manag. 10, 34 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-023-01006-x

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