PAN AFRICAN UNIVERSITY Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (Including Climate Change) THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON EROSION AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE EXTREM WEST OF ALGERIA (TAFNA BASIN) HAMEL MOHAMMED Date: //2018 Master in Energy/Water, Engineering/Policy track President: …………………………………. Supervisor: HABI Mohammed External Examiner: …………………………………. Internal Examiner: ………………………………… Academic Year: 2017-2018 DECLARATION I, HAMEL Mohammed hereby declare that this thesis represents my personal work, realized to the best of my knowledge. I also declare that all information, material and results from other works presented here, have been fully cited and referenced in accordance with the academic rules and ethics. Signed:– 27 -08-2018 Name HAMEL Mohammed Date Signed: –27-08-2018 Name of supervisor: Prof HABI Mohammed Date I ABSTRACT Water and soil are the most valuable capital for man. These fragile resources are undergoing unprecedented qualitative and quantitative degradation. The problem of soil degradation that no country seems to escape, dangerously affects agricultural production and therefore food security. In Algeria, the problem of water and soil degradation remains a major concern. The main causes are erosion and desertification, which are mainly linked to human activities and climate change. About 6 million hectares are exposed to active erosion today and averages of 120 million tons of sediment are washed away each year by the waters threatening the dams (Heddadj, 1997). Population sustenance is increasingly threatened by accelerating of erosion (Sari, 1977) mainly in mountains with more than 8 million people. (Taabni, 1998) In this research work, we will develop the subject of climate change and its impact on soil productivity. II RÉSUMÉ L’eau et le sol constituent le capital le plus précieux pour l’homme. Ces ressources fragiles subissent aujourd’hui une dégradation qualitative et quantitative sans précédent. Le problème de la dégradation du sol qu’aucun pays ne semble y échapper, affecte dangereusement la production agricole et donc la sécurité alimentaire. En Algérie, le problème de la dégradation de l'eau et du sol demeure une préoccupation majeure. Parmi les principales causes, il convient de citer l’érosion, la désertification qui est principalement liés aux activités humaines et au changement climatique. Environ 6 millions d’hectares sont exposés aujourd’hui à l'érosion active et en moyenne 120 millions de tonnes de sédiments sont emportés annuellement par les eaux menaçant ainsi les barrages (Heddadj, 1997). La subsistance des populations est de plus en plus menacée par l’accélération de l’érosion (Sari, 1977) principalement dans les montagnes où se concentrent plus de 8 millions d’habitants (Taabni, 1998). Dans cette recherche on s’intéresse a développé le sujet de changement climatique et son impact sur la productivité du sol. III ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would first like to thank my thesis advisor Prof HABI Mohammed of the Faculty of Technology at the University of ABOUBAKER BELKAID. The door to Prof HABI office was always open whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had a question about my research or writing. He consistently allowed this research to be my own work, but steered me in the right the direction whenever he thought I needed it. I would also like to thank the experts who were involved in the validation survey for this research project: MORSLI Boutkhil. Without his passionate participation and input, the validation survey could not have been successfully conducted. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration.......................................................................................................................I Abstract...........................................................................................................................II Résumé .........................................................................................................................III Acknowledgement……….............................................................................................IV Table of Contents............................................................................................................V List of Tables...........................................................................................................XVIII List of Figures............................................................................................................XXI List of Abbreviations………....................................................................................XXV Introduction...................................................................................................................01 Chapter 1: Purpose and Significance of the Study 1.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................05 1.2 Climate change in Tlemcen.....................................................................................05 1.3 Trend of climate change..........................................................................................06 1.4 Impacts of climate change.......................................................................................08 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature 2.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................10 2.2 Defining Terms and Conceptualizing Relationships...............................................10 2.2.1 Food Security Update...........................................................................................10 2.2.2 Food security........................................................................................................11 2.2.3 Food system..........................................................................................................12 V 2.2.4 Food chain............................................................................................................13 2.3 How all Three Factors Affect Food Security..........................................................13 2.3.1 Food Availability………......................................................................................14 2.3.2 Economic and Physical Access to Food………..................................................15 2.3.3 Food Utilization………........................................................................................16 2.4 Food Security in Algeria……….............................................................................18 2.4.1 Food consumption in Algeria...............................................................................19 2.5 Climate and Climate Change...................................................................................22 2.5.1 Climate and its measurement................................................................................22 2.5.2 Climate system.....................................................................................................23 2.5.3 Climate variability and climate change................................................................24 2.5.4 Effects of global warming on the climate system................................................25 2.6 Main Climate Changes of Importance for the Agriculture Sectors.........................27 2.7 Climate change puts the soil under pressure...........................................................28 2.8 Soil Erosion.............................................................................................................28 2.9. Forms of Erosion....................................................................................................31 2.9.1 Water Erosion....................................................................................................31 2.9.1.1Splash erosion (splash effect)..................................................................32 2.9.1.2 Aquifer Erosion.................................................................................................32 2.9.1.3 Linear Erosion…......................................................................................33 VI 2.9.1.4 Mass erosion…………………………………………………………………..35 2.9.2 Dry or agricultural mechanical erosion…………………………………………37 2.9.3 Natural factors affecting erosion and runoff……………………………………38 2.9.3.1. Climate……………………………………………………………………….38 2.9.3.2 Ground………………………………………………………………………...40 2.9.3.3 Topography……………………………………………………………………40 2.9.3.4 Vegetation cover………………………………………………………………41 2.9.3.5 Human factor…………………………………………………………………42 Chapter 3: Methodology 3.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................43 3.2 How Climate Change is Affecting Food Security...................................................43 3.3 Water Resources......................................................................................................44 3.3.1 Water....................................................................................................................44 3.3.2 Physical characteristics of the basin.....................................................................47 3.3.2.1 Form and characteristics....................................................................................47 3.3.2.2Reliefs..........................................................................................................47 3.3.2.2.1TheMountains of area..................................................................................47 a) Traras Mountains...............................................................................................48