ORIGINAL RESEARCH
For a Sustainable Management of Potential
Impacts of Global Change on Coastal Aquifers:
Case Study of Coastal Aquifers
in Annaba City, Algeria
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1
National Higher School of Technology and Engineering, Mining, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department,
23005, Annaba, Algeria
2
National Higher School of Technology and Engineering, Mineral Resources Valorization and Environment
(LAVAMINE) Laboratory at Badji Mokhtar University, 23005, Annaba, Algeria
3
Department of Transportation Engineering, Laboratory of Transports and Environment Engineering,
Université Constantine1 Frères Mentouri, 25000 Constantine Algeria
4
Département des Sciences Naturelles, Laboratoire Didactique des Sciences LDS,
Ecole Normale Supérieure – 16000 Kouba Algiers, Algeria
Submission date: 2024-05-08
Final revision date: 2024-06-26
Acceptance date: 2024-07-13
Online publication date: 2024-11-06
Corresponding author
Aichouri Imen
National Higher School of Technology and Engineering, Mining, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department,
23005, Annaba, Algeria
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ABSTRACT
The Annaba region, situated in the northeastern part of Algeria, harbors significant groundwater
resources vital for supplying water to the population, agriculture, and industry. However, increasing
pressures from heavy water depletion are raising serious concerns. Continuous exploitation
of the aquifer has led to deteriorating water quality and adverse effects on its hydrodynamic equilibrium,
resulting in saline intrusions that threaten aquifer utilization and wetland functionality. This study
aims to investigate the mechanisms of marine intrusion to characterize saline pollution, identifying
the key factors and solutions for seawater contamination of aquifers. Projections for 2035, assuming
current climatic conditions and exploitation practices, indicate that without intervention, the negative
impacts on groundwater and ecosystems could become catastrophic. The saline intrusion is expected
to advance inland by 200 to 300 m on the eastern edge, 500 m in the center of the plain, and up to
1500 m further west. Numerical simulation models, considering environmental heterogeneity, have
proven highly effective for understanding the hydrodynamic behavior of aquifers. These models also
highlight the vulnerability of coastal aquifers to seawater inflows and significant chloride concentration
fluxes. To address the urgent problem of increasing water scarcity in Algeria’s coastal plains, several
recommendations have been proposed.