39
2.2.2. Location
The second criterion for this selection is linked to the geographical location of the two coastal
wilayas, as both are located in the North of the country on a narrow coastal region, representing
less than 4% of the surface of the national territory. However, this part of the country presents
a stronger attraction for the population and the socio-economic activities. This attractiveness is
linked to the proximity of the sea (fishing, seaside tourism), to the existence of coastal plains
favorable to grazing, agriculture and arboriculture, as well as the forestry heritage favoring
forestry, tourism and recreation. Furthermore, the availability of facilities for the social well-being
and development. The coastal area is also characterized by the presence of major public facilities
and infrastructure (e.g., ports, airports, roads, seawater desalination plants).
The wilaya of Algiers is also selected due to its high population and the ongoing various economical
and industrial activities. Moreover, it constitutes a representative case that should provide an
overview of the ecological state of the country. The Analysis of developing regions like the wilya
of Tipaza, where it appears that less natural resource is exploited, enables a proportional
comparison with other cities based on the resources exploitation rate and practices.
2.3. Study model
In addition to considered wilayas, the model scheme and applicability was one of the factors
requiring a rescaling of the study area, primarily considering the amount of data needed for the
calculation and knowing that some data are provided at an even smaller scale (municipalities,
management bodies, user). Indeed, this last criterion is directly linked to one of the thesis
objectives, namely to confirm the applicability of the model at a reduced scale, taking into
consideration the calculation framework provided by the GFN. Accordingly, the bottom-up
model applied is assumed to deliver accurate output to rebuild the typical land use categories of
the original model.
2.4. Year of study
The year of study (2015) was chosen first to ensure a comparison objective with the latest
national accounts of Algeria for the year 2014 provided by the GFN (Appendix 2), describing
Algeria's EF and BC in 2014. Furthermore, 2015 was marked by important international
agreements on environmental and climate issues, in particular the adoption, of the framework
of the United Nations Agenda on Sustainable Development, the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals in 2016 SDGs. This year was also marked by COP21, where the international community
adopted the Paris Climate Agreement which entered into force the following year. At the
national level, the first national strategy on integrated coastal zone management was adopted
in 2015. Algeria's Nationally Determined Expected Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC was
submitted during in 2015, along with revisions to the country's national strategy on renewable
energy and energy efficiency.
2.5. Presentation of the study zone
The study zone includes the wilaya of Algiers and Tipaza (figure 4). In this section the
presentation of these two wilayas follows the EF standard model’s design which considers both
the availability of goods and resources (BC) and the demand for this biocapacity (EF). Thus, the
first part highlights the assets of the two wilayas in terms of area and natural resources available
for conservation, protection and use. The second part is dedicated to the description of the main
2.2.2. Location
The second criterion for this selection is linked to the geographical location of the two coastal
wilayas, as both are located in the North of the country on a narrow coastal region, representing
less than 4% of the surface of the national territory. However, this part of the country presents
a stronger attraction for the population and the socio-economic activities. This attractiveness is
linked to the proximity of the sea (fishing, seaside tourism), to the existence of coastal plains
favorable to grazing, agriculture and arboriculture, as well as the forestry heritage favoring
forestry, tourism and recreation. Furthermore, the availability of facilities for the social well-being
and development. The coastal area is also characterized by the presence of major public facilities
and infrastructure (e.g., ports, airports, roads, seawater desalination plants).
The wilaya of Algiers is also selected due to its high population and the ongoing various economical
and industrial activities. Moreover, it constitutes a representative case that should provide an
overview of the ecological state of the country. The Analysis of developing regions like the wilya
of Tipaza, where it appears that less natural resource is exploited, enables a proportional
comparison with other cities based on the resources exploitation rate and practices.
2.3. Study model
In addition to considered wilayas, the model scheme and applicability was one of the factors
requiring a rescaling of the study area, primarily considering the amount of data needed for the
calculation and knowing that some data are provided at an even smaller scale (municipalities,
management bodies, user). Indeed, this last criterion is directly linked to one of the thesis
objectives, namely to confirm the applicability of the model at a reduced scale, taking into
consideration the calculation framework provided by the GFN. Accordingly, the bottom-up
model applied is assumed to deliver accurate output to rebuild the typical land use categories of
the original model.
2.4. Year of study
The year of study (2015) was chosen first to ensure a comparison objective with the latest
national accounts of Algeria for the year 2014 provided by the GFN (Appendix 2), describing
Algeria's EF and BC in 2014. Furthermore, 2015 was marked by important international
agreements on environmental and climate issues, in particular the adoption, of the framework
of the United Nations Agenda on Sustainable Development, the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals in 2016 SDGs. This year was also marked by COP21, where the international community
adopted the Paris Climate Agreement which entered into force the following year. At the
national level, the first national strategy on integrated coastal zone management was adopted
in 2015. Algeria's Nationally Determined Expected Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC was
submitted during in 2015, along with revisions to the country's national strategy on renewable
energy and energy efficiency.
2.5. Presentation of the study zone
The study zone includes the wilaya of Algiers and Tipaza (figure 4). In this section the
presentation of these two wilayas follows the EF standard model’s design which considers both
the availability of goods and resources (BC) and the demand for this biocapacity (EF). Thus, the
first part highlights the assets of the two wilayas in terms of area and natural resources available
for conservation, protection and use. The second part is dedicated to the description of the main