Algeria Speeds $1 Billion Water Fix for Drought-Prone Regions

Algeria is prioritizing $1 billion of desalination plants in its drought-prone northwest, seeking to save freshwater for agriculture that’s becoming increasingly important to the OPEC nation’s under-pressure economy.

The facilities in the Tlemcen, Mostaganem and Chlef regions will add 900,000 cubic-meters of daily capacity to a nation that’s already Africa’s largest producer of desalinated water, according to a top official. It’s a new component of a previously announced $5.4 billion plan to meet the needs of the OPEC member’s 47 million people.