**2.3 Climate change**

The Maghreb countries are located in an arid to semiarid region. The climate is Saharian in the southern, oceanic in the western, and Mediterranean in the north. In the Maghreb, rising temperatures associated with climate change during the last halfcentury reveal a significant level of vulnerability, related, among other things, to:


Algeria—Democratic Republic of Algeria is the largest country in Africa. More than 80% of the country consists of the Sahara Desert. Over 34% of the population lives in rural areas and is heavily concentrated in coastal areas. Temperature rises over the last 30 years in Algeria are expected to be further amplified by reductions in rainfall which is estimated at 30% [14]. This rainfall deficit is putting more pressure on the groundwater resources to satisfy water demands and thus a decline in piezometric level of major aquifers in the north part; greater aquifers depletion which reach more than 20 m in certain parts of the region [15].

Morocco—The climate in Morocco is Mediterranean on the coasts, humid temperate at higher elevations and saharan (hot and dry) in the south-western part. Over the last 5 decades, drought events have intensified in Morocco resulting in less rainfall; with possibly, up to at least ~50%, coupled with overexploitation of groundwater resources to satisfy the water demands. The Mikkes basin is located in the Northcentral of Morocco with a deficit to be estimated around 76% (between the periods 1970–1979 and 1980–2000); this strong deficit cause high depletion in piezometric level (since 1980). This, in turn, has an influence on springs and River flow [16–20].

Tunisia is a country on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It situated between Algeria and Libya along the Mediterranean Sea. It covers an area of 164,000 km2 and over 1300 km of coastline along its eastern and northern borders. Tunisia has a semi-arid to arid climate, it has also two distinctives Mediterranean coasts, west–east in the north, and north–south in the east. Tunisia is considered to be one of the countries most exposed to climate change in the Mediterranean; increasing
