3 Water Resource Availability and Quality …
39
of inadequate supply (UN Water 2008). By 2020, 50% of countries in the region
are expected to be applying Best Available Technologies (BAT) and Best Environmental Practices (BEP) in non-conventional water projects and have national systems
to integrate water reuse in their national IWRM plans. A regional program will be
implemented by 2020 to increase the technological awareness on water reuse in
the North Africa Region as a whole. However, the feasibility of wastewater reuse
depends on the development of local capacity for making the required technology
affordable and environmentally friendly (League of the Arab States 2019). There is
the danger that climate change will introduce adverse impacts on water reclamation,
either directly (by compromising technological performance) or indirectly (by interfering with management and operation activities), posing a threat to the wastewater
reclamation industry. The impact of temperature, rainfall and SLR, greenhouse gases
(carbon dioxide and methane formed from the anaerobic decomposition of organic
matter and nitrous oxide from the nitrification and denitrification processes) are not
new, having been discussed in numerous studies worldwide. Wastewater generally
has a buffer capacity to tolerate slight fluctuations of temperature, but temperatures
outside of the optimal range can affect biological processes, especially nitrifying
bacteria (Vo et al. 2014). Warm temperatures in particular may create conditions
conducive to corrosion of raw wastewater pipelines, by forming hydrogen sulfide,
which may increase fermentation of solids in sludge thickeners, which causes odor
issues. Regarding rainfall, heavy rain can affect the performance of wastewater treatment processes by increasing the pollutant concentrations, suspended materials, and
sediments at the beginning of the storm event (Vo et al. 2014).
In general, Northern African countries have evolved very differently and at a
different pace in developing their water sector. Even though some countries have
established or are establishing water plans (policies, master plans, and strategies),
they are still struggling to implement a water policy that integrates reuse in the IWRM
strategy. Apart from Egypt and Tunisia that are the most advanced in this process,
few countries in the region have been able to implement substantial wastewater
treatment and reuse programs (Jagannathan et al. 2009). Tunisia has made steps
toward integrating wastewater reuse in its water management strategy since the early
1990s, and Egypt adopted a national plan that incorporates integrated water resources
management. Algeria has started to integrate reuse in its water policy, while for Libya,
there is no indication that wastewater reuse is fully integrated into its water policy.
The least advanced country is Mauritania (AWC/UNDP/CEDARE 2005) because of
a lack of data on water policy as a whole. In general, the reasons for poor strategy
development and implementation are political, institutional, financial, and technical.
Tunisia has shifted from water resource mobilization to a water demand
management-based strategy through the introduction of incentives, such as pricing
and financing, in addition to technical, legal, and institutional measures (Ben
Abdallah 2003). In Tunisia, the reuse of reclaimed water has been an integral part
of the National Water Resources Strategy since the 1990s, after the severe drought
there in 1989. In the early 2000s, a National Strategy for Wastewater Reuse was
developed to promote reuse for agricultural irrigation and other outlets. In 2018, the
country had 119 treatment plants producing mainly secondary biologically treated
39
of inadequate supply (UN Water 2008). By 2020, 50% of countries in the region
are expected to be applying Best Available Technologies (BAT) and Best Environmental Practices (BEP) in non-conventional water projects and have national systems
to integrate water reuse in their national IWRM plans. A regional program will be
implemented by 2020 to increase the technological awareness on water reuse in
the North Africa Region as a whole. However, the feasibility of wastewater reuse
depends on the development of local capacity for making the required technology
affordable and environmentally friendly (League of the Arab States 2019). There is
the danger that climate change will introduce adverse impacts on water reclamation,
either directly (by compromising technological performance) or indirectly (by interfering with management and operation activities), posing a threat to the wastewater
reclamation industry. The impact of temperature, rainfall and SLR, greenhouse gases
(carbon dioxide and methane formed from the anaerobic decomposition of organic
matter and nitrous oxide from the nitrification and denitrification processes) are not
new, having been discussed in numerous studies worldwide. Wastewater generally
has a buffer capacity to tolerate slight fluctuations of temperature, but temperatures
outside of the optimal range can affect biological processes, especially nitrifying
bacteria (Vo et al. 2014). Warm temperatures in particular may create conditions
conducive to corrosion of raw wastewater pipelines, by forming hydrogen sulfide,
which may increase fermentation of solids in sludge thickeners, which causes odor
issues. Regarding rainfall, heavy rain can affect the performance of wastewater treatment processes by increasing the pollutant concentrations, suspended materials, and
sediments at the beginning of the storm event (Vo et al. 2014).
In general, Northern African countries have evolved very differently and at a
different pace in developing their water sector. Even though some countries have
established or are establishing water plans (policies, master plans, and strategies),
they are still struggling to implement a water policy that integrates reuse in the IWRM
strategy. Apart from Egypt and Tunisia that are the most advanced in this process,
few countries in the region have been able to implement substantial wastewater
treatment and reuse programs (Jagannathan et al. 2009). Tunisia has made steps
toward integrating wastewater reuse in its water management strategy since the early
1990s, and Egypt adopted a national plan that incorporates integrated water resources
management. Algeria has started to integrate reuse in its water policy, while for Libya,
there is no indication that wastewater reuse is fully integrated into its water policy.
The least advanced country is Mauritania (AWC/UNDP/CEDARE 2005) because of
a lack of data on water policy as a whole. In general, the reasons for poor strategy
development and implementation are political, institutional, financial, and technical.
Tunisia has shifted from water resource mobilization to a water demand
management-based strategy through the introduction of incentives, such as pricing
and financing, in addition to technical, legal, and institutional measures (Ben
Abdallah 2003). In Tunisia, the reuse of reclaimed water has been an integral part
of the National Water Resources Strategy since the 1990s, after the severe drought
there in 1989. In the early 2000s, a National Strategy for Wastewater Reuse was
developed to promote reuse for agricultural irrigation and other outlets. In 2018, the
country had 119 treatment plants producing mainly secondary biologically treated