Utilisation des instruments économiques pour réduire l’épuisement des eaux souterraines dans le contexte du changement climatique : cas de l’aquifère de Mahdia-Ksour Essef en Tunisie (Economic instruments for reducing groundwater depletion in the context of climate change: Case of Mahdia Ksour Essef aquifer in Tunisia)

Soula, R., Chebil, A., Majdoub, R., Kahil, T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7812-5271, & Albiac Murillo, J..S. (2025). Utilisation des instruments économiques pour réduire l’épuisement des eaux souterraines dans le contexte du changement climatique : cas de l’aquifère de Mahdia-Ksour Essef en Tunisie (Economic instruments for reducing groundwater depletion in the context of climate change: Case of Mahdia Ksour Essef aquifer in Tunisia). Cahiers Agricultures 34 p. 7. 10.1051/cagri/2025003.

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Abstract

Sustainable management of aquifers in arid and semi-arid regions is crucial to ensure socio-environmental sustainability. Groundwater extraction regulation can be implemented through various instruments. Hydro-economic modeling methods offer significant insights which help to evaluate these instruments for effective groundwater regulation. Nonetheless, regulators can leverage the information generated by hydro-economic models to enhance their decision-making processes related to water allocation. This study evaluates the impact of water management instruments such as quotas, environmental taxes, and the quota-tax system on the sustainability of the Mahdia-Ksour Essef aquifer and the local economy, while also considering future climate projections, using hydro-economic modeling. By exploring various water management scenarios, the study offers strategic insights for enhancing resource allocation. The policies of quotas, adjusted according to natural recharge, as well as taxes and combined policies (quota-tax system) are examined and compared to the Business As Usual (BAU) scenario. The results show that policies based on quotas (only quotas and quota-taxes) allow for a faster replenishment of the aquifer and generate total revenues after taxes that are higher than those before taxes. For example, under the most pessimistic climate change scenario, a preservation quota for future generations could increase the actual aquifer level by 1.69 meters at the end of the simulation period. These policies could influence agricultural revenue by promoting more profitable and drought-resistant crops, such as olives and almonds. This study highlights the effectiveness of hydro-economic models as optimal approaches for evaluating groundwater management. Thus, it contributes to guiding policymakers toward strategic choices that promote sustainability and efficiency, particularly in the complex context of climate change and groundwater resource overexploitation.

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