Water Supply Management in the Semi-Arid Areas of Algeria: A Case Study of Djelfa City — Balancing Supply and Demand

Due to its geographical location in the southern Mediterranean, Algeria, like other countries, suffers from water scarcity that increases year after year, as it is characterized by its semi-arid and arid climate. The city of Djelfa is considered the most important urban population center in the central steppes (accelerated urban growth and an increase in population), where the increasing demands for water have become a challenge for the concerned authorities. The steppes have various surface and groundwater resources, as the hydrographic network is very simple and the flow is intermittent due to the growing phenomenon of drought. In addition to this, rainfall is limited in the winter and non-existent in summer, with moderate and varying amounts falling in the fall and spring seasons. The region also depends mainly on managing its water needs using groundwater resources. Achieving these resources and exploiting them in a sustainable manner is considered the most important step forward and the greatest challenge for actors over the medium and long term, while preserving the steppe environment with all its fragile components. Controlling supply and demand is also viewed as an essential element in the social and economic balance, as it enables us to overcome the state of water scarcity in a way that ensures water saturation. The increasing needs of various uses (domestic, institutional and industrial) are crucial.