Dilemma of fossil water management within Southern Tunisia oases: vulnerability to salt under intensive use context

Nizar Omrani (1, 2)

1 IRA - Institute of Arid Regions
2 IFGGI - Institute of Geography and Geo-ecology

In southern Tunisia oases, water is the most important natural resource. The survival of those ecosystems is conditioned by the availability of such resource. Under an arid climate, oases inhabitants acquired secular traditions in water management. These oases observed a lightening development. The improvement in drilling techniques reinforced their capabilities to provide for the expansion of urban water needs and irrigation requirements. Despite being fossils, underground water resources are sustaining an overexploitation that definitely compromises the sustainable development of the whole ecosystem. Such scenario leads to a continuous decrease in their level that approaches those of chott. This enhances their vulnerability to contamination risks coming from salty drainage water. Indeed, this presentation focuses on the major factors and consequences of such risk. It highlights also the impact on underground water resources availability.

Mots clés: Ecosystem; urban water; sustainable development; management; water resources

Domaines: Environnement et Société

Nizar Omrani. Dilemma of fossil water management within Southern Tunisia oases: vulnerability to salt under intensive use context. 8th World Wide Workshop for Young Environmental Scientists WWW-YES 2009: Urban waters: resource or risks?, Jun 2009, Arcueil, France. ⟨hal-00591658⟩