18.12.2024
Teaming up to protect Algeria’s coast
When it comes to protecting Algeria’s coast, everyone needs to have their say. GIZ brings all the different stakeholders together and develops solutions that work for everyone.
Algeria’s coastal zone makes up less than four per cent of the country’s total surface area yet is home to nearly two thirds of its population. As these coastal towns and cities grow, they threaten the health of the ecosystems on which their inhabitants, including fishing communities, depend. Teamwork is crucial to the success of Algeria’s coastal protection strategy. With this in mind, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has brought local authorities, community representatives and businesses in the tourism and fisheries sectors together around a single table with the goal of protecting the over 2,000 kilometres of Algerian coastline more effectively. In spite of their different interests, they were able to reach agreement on the designation of new terrestrial and marine reserves. Development and management plans are now in place to protect biodiversity in these areas and to regulate who should be allowed to operate there and how. For example, there are rules prohibiting the use of fine-mesh fishing nets and preventing construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
© GIZDigital solutions and participatory approaches
GIZ has been helping Algeria’s Ministry of Environment and Quality of Life to implement its integrated coastal zone management strategy since 2020. The project was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). To help with coastal management tasks, GIZ has deployed a geographical information system that provides mapping resources and a digital overview of the borders and geography of each protected area. The system can be used, for example, to highlight regions at high risk of erosion. GIZ advisor Mohamed Radhwen Khelifi Touhami explains how it works: ‘The data and geospatial information that we have obtained make it possible to effectively coordinate protective measures, e.g. in the Edough National Park. As a result, the authority now has a precise map of the park’s borders, and that makes it much easier to administer and monitor this valuable space.’
Altogether, GIZ supports the protection of around 1,085 square kilometres of Algeria’s coastal zone and together with its local partners has established two new reserves, with plans for two more to come.
Last update: December 2024