MEDA DATABASE ON TRANSBOUNBDARY AQUIFERS Version 1.0        14/12/07

(ESCWA-UNESCO-UNECA-UNECE)

QUESTIONNAIRE ON TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS IN THE MEDA REGION

Please complete using Word document format.

Please complete a separate questionnaire for each aquifer

Please return by e-mail to: al-mooji@un.org and R.Stephan@unesco.org with copies to: iganouli@civil.auth.gr and a.aureli@unesco.org, by 20th August 2007.

1- NAME OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS, LOCATION & COUNTRIES

Please give the name(s) or other identification property of the shared aquifer, its approximate location (province, department) and say which countries share it.

Name of the shared aquifer	Location (Province)	Country shared aquifer
Angad Aquifer	Oujda	Algeria

Phreatic Aquifer, located at the border between Morocco and Algeria and shared between both countries.

2- AQUIFER PROPERTIES

2-1 Please look at the four simplified pictures below and indicate which of them most closely characterises your transboundary aquifer. If none, please provide a conceptual sketch of your transboundary aquifer in the blank box below

Please tick : Example         1         2         3         4        5             

2-2 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

      Aquifer hydrogeological type:                porous              karstic            fissured rock            other

      Predominant lithology: Lacustral limestone, basalt tuff, sand and silt

      Stratigraphic age: Plio-Quaternary

Area extent (km²):   500       Population resident in this area and main occupation: 470 000 hab. (2004)

                                            Agriculture

   Thickness: mean (m). : 50 maximum (m) 200 

Shared international boundary length : not defined

Dominant groundwater flow direction: SW-NE from Morocco to Algeria

Link with surface water systems:             strong               medium          weak

2.3          Map

Please provide a clear map of the transboundary aquifer, including aquifer boundaries and geographical coordinates. The map should preferably be supplied as a GIS-file

2.4 Hydrogeological Characteristics and Groundwater Use

Rainfall: average annual and seasonal distribution:  320 mm / year.  The precipitation period is from November to March-April

Recharge / discharge area: Aquifer is recharged mainly by infiltration from precipitation in Morocco and by The Bouhouria, Béni Snassen and Jbel Hamra aquifers. Aquifer is discharged through rivers, evaporation and pumping of groundwater.

     Level changes (m/yr) - natural, induced by pumping, or other reason:

§ Natural Level changes (m/yr)                                                          : 0.2                            

§ Level changes induced by pumping and evaporation (m/yr)    : 5

      Total available non-renewable groundwater reserves (Mm³/yr):

      Total available annually renewable groundwater resources (Mm³/yr): 32

Total groundwater abstractions (Mm³/yr) (estimated where not measured): 36 (Morocco side)

Flow in/out across national boundary (Mm³/yr): 3

Groundwater flow direction and gradient across boundary: SW-NE From Morocco to Algeria and 0.2%

Water uses (total, by sector, principal uses, current - estimated and future - projected)

      Total water use Mm³/yr                                                  : 36.

§ Irrigation water use Mm³/yr                    : 20 ;

§ Drinking water use Mm³/yr                      : 14;

§ Industry                                                         :   2.

Deficits and other resource concerns (e.g. quality, extremes, environmental degradation, interactions with surface water bodies / other aquifers)

The chemical quality of the water of aquifer is mediocre in the NE part (Wastewater infiltration)

3- MONITORING DATA

Please note that stakeholders should comply with the WMO Resolution 25 on international exchange of hydrological and related data. (http://www.wmo.ch/index-en.html). If appropriate insert Excel tables into the Word document in order to provide information and available data on quantity, quality and accessibility, including:

        · Observation networks

Describe the type of monitoring systems (surveillance, operational, investigative) and present briefly its historical perspective (starting year, changes of equipment or institutions and any other general information)

· Maps, with available scales, GIS and remote sensing imagery

Provide maps showing the monitoring stations in GIS format and any other relevant remote sensing information

· Type of data and monitoring equipment

Give the list of parameters and substances you monitor for quantity, physico-chemical and biological conditions and the monitoring equipment and methodology you use.

· Data archives and their adequacy

Describe the chronology of the data and give your opinion about their reliability

· Institutions in charge

Names and addresses of national and international institutions responsible for monitoring

· Research centres

Same as above for research centres involved in monitoring

3.1 Quantity

· N^o. of monitoring stations             : 3

· Frequency of measurements        : 4 times per year

· Water levels                                : See Angad Piezometer

·           Mean value and typical range       : See Angad Piezometer

· Additional information                  : -

3.2 Quality

· N^o. of monitoring sites                  : 17

· Frequency of measurements        : 2 times per year

· Nitrogen compounds                    : -

· Salinity and major ions                : See Table below

· Heavy metals                              : -

· Pesticides                                   : -

· Industrial organic compounds       : -

Date	Conductivity (µs/cm)	Cl^- (mg/l)	NO3^- (mg/l)	NH4^+ (mg/l)	Organic matter (mg/l)
08/05/1998	2045	367	74,4	0,007	1,54
12/07/2000	2170	161,6	108,80	0,002	2,60
04/04/2001	1460	275,2	67,50	0,006	0,93
14/01/2002	2280	365,8	97,50	0,024	0,91
22/06/2002	2290	348,8	106,00	0,022	0,91

4. IMPORTANCE OF TRANSBOUNDARY GROUNDWATERS

4-1 Uses and Functions

Does the groundwater in this transboundary aquifer have direct uses and/or other functions?

No                    Why not?                     Irrelevant groundwater resource             

                                               Problems with groundwater                   

(if yes, indicate these in section 5)

or:

Yes                  Uses                Shared Aquifer Groundwater as % of total water use in the area      

Total Shared Groundwater as % of total water use in the country:

Total Groundwater as % of total water use in the country:          

Other functions Support of ecosystems                                

                                                                       Support of agriculture                         

(Directly from shallow water table)

                                                                       Preventing land subsidence                              

                                                                       Maintaining baseflow and springs         

                                                           Seasonal heat storage                         

                                                           Any other function                                   

(please specify)

                                                            Drinking water supply

4-2 Groundwater abstraction and use in the aquifer

Indicate in the table the percentage of total groundwater abstraction accounted for by each use

Type of use	Percentage	If you do not know the exact percentage, than mark one of the following options
		< 25 %	25 – 50 %	50 – 75 %	> 75 %
Drinking water	39
Irrigation	55.5
Industry	5.5
Mining
Thermal spa
Livestock
Other (please specify)

Please indicate the year to which these figures apply: 2004

5. WHICH PROBLEMS ARE OBSERVED IN TRANSBOUNDARY GROUNDWATERS?

5.1 Problems related to groundwater quantity

a)   Specify if possible the average trend of groundwater level decline (m/year) : 0.5

b)   Indicate in the table the type and scale of problem associated with groundwater abstraction from the aquifer

Problem	Increasing scale of problem
	1. Local and moderate	2. Local but severe	3. Widespread but moderate	4. Widespread and severe
Increased pumping lifts or costs	+
Reduction of borehole yields	+
Reduced baseflow and springflow
Degradation of ecosystems
Sea water intrusion
Salt water upconing	+
Polluted water drawn into aquifer
Land subsidence
Other (please specify)

5.2 Problems related to groundwater quality

Indicate in the table the type, nature and scale of groundwater quality problems in the aquifer

Problem	Nature of problem		Typical range of concentrations	Scale, using classes  1-4 from table above
	Natural origins	From human activities
Salinisation	+			1
Nitrogen species		+		1
Pesticides		+		1
Heavy metals
Pathogens
Industrial organic compounds
Hydrocarbons
Other (please specify)
Organic matters
Arsenic

5.3 Evidence for transboundary effects

b) Do you observe any decline of groundwater levels (or piezometric levels) caused or probably caused by activities in neighbouring countries?

                       Yes                  No  

c) Do you observe any groundwater pollution caused or probably caused by activities in neighbouring countries?

                  Yes                             No  

6.  TRANSBOUNDARY MANAGEMENT MEASURES

Indicate in the table which measures are presently being implemented or need to be applied

Management Measures	Already used and effective	Used, but Need to be improved	Need to be applied	Currently  planned
Transboundary institutions (commissions, agreements, treaties, etc.)			+
Groundwater abstraction management by regulation (licensing, taxation)		+
Groundwater abstraction management by incentives or disincentives (subsidies, credits, energy prices, energy supply, etc.)			+
Increasing efficiency of groundwater use		+
Monitoring of groundwater quantity		+
Monitoring of groundwater quality			+
Public awareness campaigns			+
Protection zones for public supplies			+
Vulnerability mapping for land use planning			+
Good agricultural practices			+
Groundwater integrated into river basin management
Wastewater reuse or artificial recharge
Treatment of  urban wastewater
Treatment of industrial effluents
Other (please specify)

7.  POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE PROPERTIES

1. Does your country have domestic legislation on water resources ? è yes. In particular, does this legislation include a part on groundwater resources, or is there a separate groundwater legislation? èit includes a part of groundwater resources. Could you give an indication of the main provisions concerning groundwater, such as abstraction, licensing, pollution prevention zoning mechanisms etc.
2. What is the governmental institutional set-up for water management in your country, at national and sub-national level? (Give full name of institution(s), and a brief description of the relevant internal structure and mandate). è Is there any specific government institution for groundwater management? èyes
3. Are there any arrangements or agreements with your neighboring States regarding the transboundary aquifers ? èNo. Is there any form of cooperation with the neighboring States on the transboundary aquifers? èNo

8.  NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS OF PERSON(S) COMPLETING THIS FORM:

Name            : FILALI MOUTEI Jaouad

Institution      : Secretary of State to the Ministry of Energy, Mining, Water and Environment, in charge of Water and Environment

Address…    : Administration de l’Hydraulique 20, Rue Hassan Ben Chekroun, Rabat Agdal, Maroc

Tel. : (+212) 37 68 58 24       Fax. (+212) 37 77 60 81        E-mail : fmjaouad@water.gov.ma