Virtual Water Trade And Water Scarcity In Algeria: Lessons From A Global Practice

Abstract

The virtual water trade is evoked like adaptation strategy to water scarcity and an element of water demand management (WDM). This paper aims to discuss the concept of virtual water, the relationship between the production of goods, and the availability of water, and to understand the trend of global virtual water trade flows. Algeria as an arid and semi-arid country imports about 17,31 Bm3 /year as virtual water contained in imports which would exceed even the natural potential of the country (16,24 Bm3 ) and by far the exploitable volumes (10,47 Bm3 ). The article aims also to measure the degree of the contribution of this strategy in the mitigation of the water scarcity in Algeria. The limits of this practice will be analyzed from an economic point of view.