Can agricultural groundwater economies collapse? An inquiry into the pathways of four groundwater economies under threat

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the notion of collapse of agricultural groundwater economies using the adaptive-cycle analytical framework. This framework was applied to four case studies in southern Europe and North Africa to question and discuss the dynamics of agricultural groundwater economies. In two case studies (Saiss in Morocco and Clain basin in France), the imminent physical or socio-economic collapse was a major concern for stakeholders and the early signs of collapse led to re-organization of the groundwater economy. In the other two cases (Biskra in Algeria and Almeria in Spain), collapse was either not yet a concern or had been temporarily resolved through increased efficiency and access to additional water resources. This comparative analysis shows the importance of taking the early signs of collapse into account. These signs can be either related to resource depletion or to environmental and socio-economic impacts. Beyond these four case studies, the large number of groundwater economies under threat in (semi-)arid areas should present a warning regarding their possible collapse. Collapse can have severe and irreversible consequences in some cases, but it can also mean new opportunities and changes. (Résumé d'auteur

The key role of supply chain actors in groundwater irrigation development in North Africa

“…Groundwater is officially public property and the state is a central actor who provides the authorization to obtain access to and use of groundwater, and often subsidizes the physical infrastructure (tube-well, pump, motor and tubing, and even water saving techniques). In the field, there is no control over the volumes pumped; obtaining an authorization requires a solid network of contacts and illicit private tube-wells are tolerated by local authorities (Daoudi and Lejars 2016;Petit et al 2017).…”

“…At the same time, in each area, groundwater pumping increased and accelerated water table declines (Leduc et al 2017). In the countries concerned, the state initiated and stimulated access to the confined aquifers through deep tube-wells, as the agricultural boom matched its objective to promote agricultural development (Petit et al 2017). Groundwater is officially public property and the state is a central actor who provides the authorization to obtain access to and use of groundwater, and often subsidizes the physical infrastructure (tube-well, pump, motor and tubing, and even water saving techniques).…”

“…While major uncertainties remain about the hydrological impact of recent rapid agrarian changes, including groundwater pumping, hydrogeologists agree that the present development of groundwater-based agriculture is not sustainable (Leduc et al 2017). Yet, there are very few local initiatives to protect the aquifers, and states have remained Btolerant^because the agricultural boom promotes economic growth (Petit et al 2017). At the farm level, many investors jumped at the economic opportunities created by the boom in groundwater development by buying land and investing in agriculture (Dugué et al 2014).…”

State, market or community failure? Untangling the determinants of groundwater depletion in Copiapó (Chile)

“…This trend, observed both in developed and emerging countries, has given rise to many cases of groundwater overdraft (Giordano & Villholth, 2007;Mays 2013;Shah 2005;Wada et al, 2010). In certain cases, this has led groundwater dependent economies to the verge of collapse (Petit et al, 2017). Examples of such trajectories have been reported from settings as diverse as Australia (Nevill, 2009), southern European countries (De Stefano, Fornés, López-Geta, & Villarroya, 2015), West American states (Scanlon et al, 2012), Central and South America (Bitran, Rivera, & Villena, 2014;Scott & Shah 2004), the Indian subcontinent (Wato & Mugera, 2016), the Middle East (Al-Sakkaf et al, 1999) and North Africa (Kuper et al, 2016).…”

La gouvernance de l'eau souterraine dans le Sahara algérien : enjeux, cadre légal et pratiques locales

“…À partir des années 1980, la technique de forage s'est généralisée et son coût a considérablement baissé, conduisant ainsi à une multiplication phénoménale des forages individuels, base de développement d'une nouvelle agriculture saharienne, en dehors des oasis, intensive et totalement orientée vers le marché (Mubarak, 1998 ;Côte, 2002). Cette multiplication des forages individuels soulève toutefois des inquiétudes quant au risque de surexploitation des nappes souterraines et recentre le débat de la mise en valeur agricole dans les régions arides autour de la question de la gouvernance de l'eau, comme condition nécessaire à la durabilité de ces activités (Kuperet al, 2016 ;Petit et al, 2017).…”