Water resources in Algeria and Poland in the light of adaptation to climate change

Abstract

The pressure on water resources that the world is facing results from water shortages and the increasing demand for water by various sectors of activity. Depending on the region, the impact of climate change and population growth have different consequences, which largely depend on the management of water resources. The aim of the study is to estimate the size of available renewable water resources in Algeria and Poland in the years 1991–2020 and the degrees of their use by individual sectors of the national economy. In the 30-year study period, an upward trend in the total amount of water withdrawn in Algeria was observed, while for Poland a downward trend was observed that mainly resulted from changes in population size. There is a significant differentiation in the breakdown of uses for which water is extracted, i.e., industrial purposes predominate in Poland and agricultural purposes in Algeria. ...