Quality of irrigation water in the region of In Salah, South Algeria
Abstract
Water is a vital element for the survival of all living things on a planetary scale. It is also a priority factor for any socio-economic activity. The Algerian Sahara, which covers 2/3 of the country's surface area and extends over more than 2 million km2, contains significant groundwater resources stored in two major aquifers: the Intercontinental Aquifer (CI) and the Terminal Complex (CT). The intercontinental aquifer covers most of the northern Sahara. The In Salah region is part of the western hydrogeologic sub-basin of the intercontinental aquifer and forms its southeastern boundary. Groundwater deserves special attention in the global debate on the sustainable use of natural resources. The problem of groundwater salinity, caused by various human and natural factors, causes serious irrigation problems. Groundwater is the only source of water for date palms in the In Salah region. The results from physico-chemical analysis show that the groundwater presents a poor quality with very high salinity. The continental intermediate aquifer represents the main source of irrigation, in which boreholes (FS40 and FS38) are located, but this will not be possible in the future, so it is necessary to think about integrated water management to conserve resources. In this study, the salinity and sodium content of two different boreholes in the In Salah area were calculated.
