Algeria: Ongoing drought to negatively affect agricultural season

Event

​According to forecasts, an ongoing drought in Algeria will negatively affect the start of the agricultural season in the country, which begins every year in mid-October. The current water shortage has been attributed to a lack of rainfall in recent months in Algeria, compounded by water mismanagement and waste. A lower-than-average crop yield is expected, and the imposition of water rationing measures is possible in Algeria in the coming months if drought conditions persist.

Context

In northern Algeria, the sowing season for major cereal crops such as barley, sorghum, and wheat is mid-October through mid-January; the growing season for such crops is late January through early June.

Rainfall in Algeria has decreased by over 30 percent in recent decades, according to Algeria's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) report drafted for the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Rain typically falls in northern Algeria from September through spring, with the most plentiful rainfall from December to January. Higher temperatures, which have led to accelerating evaporation, have also been recorded throughout Algeria in recent decades.

Advice

Individuals in Algeria are advised to conserve water when possible, to monitor developments to the drought situation, and to follow instructions given by local authorities.