MEDA DATABASE ON TRANSBOUNBDARY AQUIFERS Version 1.0 2/07/07
(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.
a)
NAME OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY
AQUIFER, LOCATION & COUNTRIES
Please give the name(s) of the
shared aquifer, its approximate location (province,
department) and say which countries share it.
The ERRACHIDIA Aquifer System located in Northern
Africa shared between
·
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, pleae provide
a conceptual sketch of your transboundary aquifer in the blank box below.
The
second (2) case characterises most closely the transboundary aquifer.
2.2 General
Characteristics
Aquifer type □ alluvial
□ karstic □ crystalline □ other
Predominant lithology : Calcarous............
Areal extent (km2). : 40 000.............. Population resident in this area :
Thickness: mean
(m). :............ maximum (m)...............
Shared international boundary length :
Dominant groundwater flow direction: from... Marocco (NE)...... to ..Algeria (SW).......(countries)
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:
Recharge / discharge area:
Level changes
(m/yr) natural, induced by pumping, or other reasons
: considerable level
change during the year induced by pumping mainly in some abstraction zones.
Total available non- renewable groundwater reserves (Mm3/yr): 240
Total available annually renewable groundwater
resources (Mm3/yr) :
Total groundwater abstractions (Mm3/yr) (estimated where not measured) : 180
Flow in/out across
national boundary (Mm3/yr)
60
.
Groundwater flow
direction and gradient across boundary
From Marocco to
Water uses (total, by sector, principal uses, current - estimated and
future - projected)
Groundwater is
mainly used for local agriculture, drinking water.
Deficits and other resource concerns
(e.g. quality, extremes, environmental degradation, interactions with surface
water bodies / other aquifers)
·
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
·
No. of monitoring stations: 200
·
Frequency of measurements: 3 per year.
·
Water levels: equilibrium tendency.
Mean value and typical range
·
·
Additional information
3.2 Quality
·
No. of monitoring sites:
·
Frequency of measurements:
·
Nitrogen compounds
·
Salinity and
major ions
·
Heavy metals
·
Pesticides
·
Industrial organic compounds Mean values and typical ranges
4. IMPORTANCE
OF TRANSBOUNDARY GROUNDWATERS
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
heatstorage
Any
other function
(please specify) Drinking
water supply is completely from groundwater sources
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 |
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< 25 % |
25 50 % |
50 75 % |
> 75 % |
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Drinking water |
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+ |
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Irrigation |
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+ |
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Industry |
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Mining |
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+ |
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Thermal spa |
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Livestock |
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+ |
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Other
(please specify) |
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Please indicate the year to which these figures apply....: 2006............
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) : ...........
b) Indicate
in the table the type and scale of problem associated with groundwater
abstraction from the aquifer
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Problem |
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1. Local and moderate |
2.
Local but severe |
3.
Widespread but moderate |
4.
Widespread and severe |
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Increased
pumping lifts or costs |
+ |
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Reduction
of borehole yields |
+ |
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Reduced
baseflow and springflow |
+ |
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Degradation
of ecosystems |
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Sea
water intrusion |
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Salt
water upconing |
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Polluted
water drawn into aquifer |
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Land
subsidence |
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Other
(please specify) |
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5.2 Problems related to groundwater quality
Indicate in the table the
type, nature and scale of groundwater quality problems in the aquifer
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Problem |
Nature of problem |
Typical range of concentrations |
Scale, using classes 1-4 from table above |
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Natural origins |
From human activities |
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Salinisation |
+ |
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1 |
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Nitrogen
species |
Agriculture |
Agriculture |
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1 |
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Pesticides |
+ |
Agriculture |
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1 |
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Heavy
metals |
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Pathogens |
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Industrial
organic compounds |
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Hydrocarbons |
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Other
(please specify) |
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Organic matters |
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Arsenic |
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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 |
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Transboundary
institutions (commissions, agreements, treaties, etc.) |
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+ |
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Groundwater
abstraction management by regulation (licensing, taxation) |
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+ |
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Groundwater
abstraction management by incentives or disincentives (subsidies, credits,
energy prices, energy supply, etc.) |
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+ |
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Increasing
efficiency of groundwater use |
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+ |
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Monitoring
of groundwater quantity |
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+ |
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Monitoring
of groundwater quality |
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+ |
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Public
awareness campaigns |
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+ |
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Protection
zones for public supplies |
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Vulnerability
mapping for land use planning |
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Good
agricultural practices |
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+ |
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Groundwater
integrated into river basin management |
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Wastewater
reuse or artificial recharge |
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Treatment
of urban wastewater |
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Treatment
of industrial effluents |
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Other
(please specify) |
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7. POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE PROPERTIES
- Does your country have domestic
legislation on water resources ? èyes. In particular, does this legislation include a part on
groundwater resources, or is there a separate groundwater legislation? èit includes a part of groundwater ressources. Could you give an
indication of the main provisions concerning groundwater, such as
abstraction, licensing, pollution prevention zoning mechanisms etc.
- 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
- 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
:
Mohamedou OULD BABA SY
Institution
:
Sahara and Sahel Observatory (
Address
:
Boulevard du Leader Yasser ARAFAT. BP31; 1080;
Tel. :
(+216) 71 206 633
..Fax. (+216) 71 206 636
E-mail :
lamine.babasy@oss.org.tn
..