Algeria considers international legal action over water pollution in Oued Mouilah

Algeria is preparing a legal case to be presented to international bodies regarding the pollution of the transboundary Oued Mouilah, which flows through the Tlemcen region. The move follows recommendations from a recent international conference on water protection. Former Minister of Water Resources, Mustapha Kamel Mihoubi, emphasized the need for rigorous scientific analysis to document the source of pollutants, noting that water enters Algerian territory contaminated after passing through Morocco. The Hammam Boughrara dam, which supplies water to roughly two million people in provinces including Tlemcen and Aïn Témouchent, is currently at risk. Experts from the University of Tlemcen have flagged concentrations of pollutants well above international limits, identifying potential sewage and industrial waste from the Oujda area. While no formal international litigation has commenced, Algeria is gathering evidence and implementing monitoring systems and technical contingencies, such as potential water diversion, to mitigate the impact on shared water resources as guided by international water management principles.