SASS

Institutional setting

The stakeholders of the project are OSS as the project owner. The first phase of the SASS project was carried out with the support of SDC Switzerland, IFAD, FAO, UNESCO and GIZ. The second phase was carried out with the support of SDC Switzerland, FFEM (France), Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNESCO and GIZ. The third and final phase was carried out with the support of the FGEF and the GEF.

Geographical setting

The SASS is a deep aquifer shared between Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The SASS designates a complex superposition of aquifers with two main layers housed in two different geological formations: the Continental Intercalary (CI or Albian) and the Terminal Complex (TC). The SASS extends over one million km² and contains considerable water reserves, but they are not very renewable and cannot be fully exploited. The situation of overexploitation, confirmed by the model set up by the OSS SASS project, has exposed the SASS to increased risks of water salinization, disappearance of artesianism, and drying up of outlets. The SASS area covers regions ranging from desert areas (with annual rainfall <100 mm and evapotranspiration >3000 mm) to arid areas (with annual rainfall of 100-200 mm and evapotranspiration of the order of 2000-2500 mm).

Historical overview

1950s-1960s: Tunisia and Algeria noted a drop in pressure in their hydraulic works.

Years 1970-1980: ERES project, for the study of the water resources of the Northern Sahara.

From 1999 to 2002, a first study was carried out, within the natural limits of the basin, which was until then apprehended on a national scale or in the framework of bilateral collaborations. In 2003, new studies to consolidate knowledge on hydraulic aspects and agricultural diagnoses were launched. They shed light on the lack of efficiency of irrigation, the poor use of water and the degradation of soil quality. This observation highlighted the fragility and unsustainability of the cropping systems prevailing in the SASS basin. In 2006 and following a process led by OSS during the previous study phases, the three countries set up a common management framework, the Concertation Mechanism, with the mission of carrying out a concerted policy for sustainable groundwater management at the basin level. The overexploitation of the System, with the environmental and socio-economic risks that this implies, led the countries to agree on objectives to control water demand, improve its productivity and protect the environment. Efforts have focused on the agricultural sector, which is the largest user of groundwater in the basin. In 2009, OSS initiated the third phase of the project. This third phase of the SASS project developed recommendations for the implementation of a basin-wide sustainable land and groundwater resources management strategy.

Evidence of benefits from implementation

The SASS project has resulted in significant water savings of up to 45% and a tenfold increase in farmers’ income.

Socio-economic component
The considerable number of farms surveyed has opened the field of knowledge of the behavior of agricultural water uses and users in the three SASS countries. The analysis of the data has made it possible to quantify the impact of salinization on water productivity and the effect of the price of water on its consumption. The considerable contribution of the socio-economic component was, on the one hand, to allow a readability of the viability of the exploitation when the quality of the water is degraded and to give simple economic indicators which must alert the decision makers. On the other hand, the study highlighted the importance of structural factors for the viability of farms. In particular, it emphasized the importance of the social organization of the farm (involvement of the family workforce, level of education of the farmers, experience in irrigation, farmer/breeder combination) as a determining factor in water productivity. The socio-economics component showed that it was possible to value water in a sustainable way, provided that the determining factors of the farmer’s behavior were taken into account: who consumes water, in what order and how. In this approach, it was also shown that in the SASS, the main users of water were the farmers with individual access by private drilling. This category of farmers is also the one that produces the most wealth per m3 of water. The relatively high water productivity of the “private” group is thought to be due to the fact that paying for water makes the farmer more efficient.

Demonstration pilots
This component had a primarily agri-environmental focus, however, it is important to note that an innovative social approach achieved through multi-stakeholder consultation and participation contributed to the achievement of the objectives. Farmers, as the main decision-makers, were strongly involved in the realization of the work in an exemplary synergy with the partner research institutions. The pilots demonstrated that it is possible to convince farmers to adopt sustainable water and soil management practices, including more efficient irrigation. They have also demonstrated to farmers, in a concrete way, that it is possible to make better use of water while preserving the ecosystem.

The pragmatic and pedagogical way of convincing farmers made them willing to pay for irrigation water and to invest in better efficiency. It was the perception of the value of water that changed for the farmers. The pilots promoted dialogue between farmers and acted as a vehicle for agricultural extension and the dissemination of innovations. On the other hand, they have facilitated the social acceptability of innovations. These dynamics are promising and can help revitalize interest in irrigated agriculture in certain regions throughout the basin. The “agricultural demonstration pilots” component has paved the way for improved living conditions for farmers, stabilization of populations and better conservation of the resource.

Replication potential in SUDOE region

The main success factors of the project were to reach a consensus between the three countries to face this problem. On the other hand, the support of a structure such as the OSS, which listens to the countries and their needs, makes it possible to encourage better management of the transboundary resource. We also note in this project a strong involvement of the civil society. Even if the project has been able to benefit from subsidies (each year, each country contributes 30k€), one of the problems raised is the lack of financial means for the field part. Human resources are dedicated to the daily management of this practice, including units of coordinations to organize training workshops, water workshops. This type of project also has a strong potential for replication for trans-regional water resource management issues.

Key points of the innovative method

> Mechanism of dialogue between countries
> Pedagogy of proximity with the farmers
> Social acceptability
> Socio-economic approach