Impact of anthropogenic activities on the groundwater resources of the unconfined aquifer of Triffa plain (Eastern Moroc
- PDF / 1,039,610 Bytes
- 8 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 76 Downloads / 187 Views
ORIGINAL PAPER
Impact of anthropogenic activities on the groundwater resources of the unconfined aquifer of Triffa plain (Eastern Morocco) Abdelhafid Fekkoul & Yassine Zarhloule & Mimoun Boughriba & Alae-eddine Barkaoui & Abdelhakim Jilali & Salem Bouri
Received: 6 November 2011 / Accepted: 31 October 2012 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2012
Abstract Located at the northeastern part of Morocco, the plain of Triffa is characterized by a semi-arid climate where water resources are rather fragile and influenced by a highly irregular rainfall distribution, both in time (annual and interannual distribution) and in space. The mean annual rainfall does not exceed 240 mm. In the Triffa plain, the impact of anthropogenic activities on the groundwater resources is reflected both by (a) the decrease in the piezometric level due to the over exploitation and droughts and (b) the deterioration of the chemical quality of water. Currently, this situation is felt mainly by the farmers. The unconfined aquifer is under stress due to the increase of the pollution rate, especially by nitrates that are above the WHO standards, and salinity. Organochlorine pesticides are ubiquitous and persistent organic pollutants used widely in agriculture. Due to their extensive use in agriculture, organic environment contaminants such as hexachlorocyclohexane, DDT, and DDD along organochlorine pesticides are distributed globally by transport through water. Pesticides such as aldrin, lindane, and heptachlor have also been detected and were considered as indicators showing the need to inform and to train farmers on the pesticides and fertilizers use in order to reduce the threat of groundwater contamination. Keywords Anthropogenic activities . Groundwater contamination . Aquifer . Triffa plain A. Fekkoul : Y. Zarhloule : M. Boughriba : A.-e. Barkaoui (*) : A. Jilali Laboratory of Hydrogeology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohammed I, Oujda, Morocco e-mail: [email protected] S. Bouri Laboratory of Water-Energy-Environment, ENI Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
Introduction Water resources are considered as the first priority by the Moroccan national strategy for sustainable development. The economy of the country is mainly based on agriculture, which is reflected on water use. Not surprisingly, irrigation is responsible for 90 % of water consumption in Morocco; thus, water resources management is a fundamental variable for the present and the future of Morocco, regardless of climate change. The Triffa plain, located in the northeast of Morocco and not far from the Mediterranean coast, is an important agricultural area (36,060 ha) composed of 33 % fruit (citrus), 24 % cereals, and 13 % industrial crops plantations, 7 % fodder farming, and 3 % manufacturing of various agricultural products (Fig. 1). Irrigation is essential due to the semi-arid climate conditions, with rainfall being dominated by a strong variability both in space and time, often resulting in water scarcity. Water demand is high for agriculture and for drinking water supply. Unfo
Data Loading...
