Algeria will produce 3.7 million cubic meters per day of desalinated water by the end of 2024, which will cover 42% of the population’s needs, said Algerian Energy Company director general Mohamed Boutaba.
Algeria aims to reach 5.6 million cubic meters per day of desalinated water by 2030.
Boutaba told Reuters that the country had already invested $2.1 billion and planned to inject another $2.4 billion to implement its plan.
It is noteworthy that Algeria suffers from a drought that has worried farmers in the first place, as it cast a shadow on their seasonal crops, at a time when the government is racing to complete seawater desalination plants and exploit them in the agricultural field.
Algeria relies heavily on rainwater in its agricultural sector, especially in cereal cultivation in the north of the country, but last year’s winter witnessed a drop in temperatures and a decrease in rainfall, which led to the deterioration of the agricultural situation and drought in many regions of the country.
Algeria has more than 80 dams and 15 seawater desalination plants, but the lack of rainfall in recent years has caused dams, groundwater and even springs to decline, reflecting the importance of ongoing efforts to boost the country’s water supply.
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