*4.2.3 Seawater desalination*

Limited natural water resources, the continued population growth and climate change in the Maghreb region are the primary drivers of water stress. Seawater

Desalination is an artificial process of removing dissolved salts from seawater and changing seawater into usable water for human consumption, irrigation, industrial applications, and various other purposes. However, this process produces a highly concentrated brine, which must be properly disposed. This waste product can damage ecosystems if it is not well managed.

Algeria—Desalination of seawater is needed in Algeria to resolve the water issues. Different methods of solar desalination have been practiced such as solar distillation. Combination of reverse osmosis technology and improved water infrastructure has proven to be an effective solution for Algerian cities. Also, the government strategy for drinking water supply is to increase the country's installed desalination capacity. The Tahlyat Myah Magtaa desalination Plant was built in 2011 in Oran city (Algeria's second-largest city) and providing water potable for more than five million [60]. The new seawater desalination plant is being built in Corso, a coastal town 25 km east of the capital Algiers.

Morocco—In order to sustain water needs in Morocco, the government decided to implement a seawater desalination plant in most water-scarce areas (Southern Moroccan) such as Boujdour (MED MVC 250 m3 /d and SWRO 800 m3 /d) and Laayoune (SWRO 7000 m3 /d) [61].

Tunisia—Water is scarce in Tunisia especially in central and southern areas. Water desalination plant may alleviate chronic water scarcity in Tunisia's southern region. The four major desalination plants which produce nearly four percent of the country's total water resource are: Kerkennah (1983) with 3300 m3 /day; Gabes (1995) with 22,510 m3 /day; and two stations in Jerba-Zarzis (1999) with 12,000 m3 /day. Additionally, there are 60 smaller plants in industries services [62]. The plants use reverse osmosis, a process that uses a partially permeable membrane to separate ions, unwanted molecules and larger particles from drinking water.

Libya is a largely desert country which has very limited water resources and suffers from growing water scarcity (urbanization and climate change). Seawater desalination can provide a climate-independent source of drinking water. Desalination technology has been used in Libya since the early 1960s and it is continuously developed during the last 30 years. There are currently 21 operating desalination plants, with a total desalination capacity of 525.680 m3 /d [63].

Mauritania—Water deficits and their associated shortages are serious problems. Thus, the installation of sea water desalination systems is a greatest water technique to help alleviate the shortage of fresh water resources in Mauritania in particular and thus participate in the economic and social development of the Maghreb countries as a whole. In 2018, seawater desalination project designed a 1000 m3 /day in Mauritania's largest fishing port in Nouadhibou for industrial and domestic use [64].


**Table 2.**

*Major MAR types in the Maghreb [65].*
