Assessment and Mapping of Groundwater Quality for Irrigation and Drinking in a Semi-Arid Area in Algeria (original) (raw)

2021, Journal of Ecological Engineering

Water resources are a major concern in dry or semi-dry countries. They are crucial to the development of human, economic and social activities [Ragab et al., 2002b; Williams., 1999; Misra., 2014; Wang et al. 2017]. Algeria has adopted a new policy to protect and safeguard water resources [Negm et al., 2020; Qadir et al., 2007], as population and urbanization increases, industrial units and farm land have resulted in the degradation of groundwater and surface water quality, combined with a very significant decline in the groundwater resources, the only water reserves for the supply of populations. It is critical to understand the groundwater quality because it is a key mark of its suitability for human consumption, agriculture, and/or industry. In recent years, there has been a worldwide increasing concern for water quality. Several studies [Khan et al., 2020; Rao et al., 2012; Babiker et al., 2007] were conducted to assess the quality of groundwater. Groundwater chemistry has been used as an instrument for evaluating the quality of water for human use and irrigation. [Srinivasamoorthy