Algeria’s environment faces mounting pressure from climate-change, forest fires, desertification and a legacy of hydrocarbon dependency and its pollution —yet the country is also emerging as a compelling frontier for cleantech and green-economy investment. Stretching from the Mediterranean coast to the Sahara, Algeria confronts rising water stress, soil erosion, air-quality concerns and ecosystem degradation. Its decades-long fight against desertification—such as through programs like the “Green Dam” barrier across the pre-Saharan steppe—underscores that land and water security are no longer just ecological concerns.
Béjaïa, Algeria
At the same time, Algeria is seeking to shift its economic track. With over 3,000 annual sunshine hours in its southern zones and strong wind-potential, the country holds untapped renewable-energy resources. Recent strategy documents describe plans to scale up solar-PV, wind and green-hydrogen production for both domestic use and export. The government’s accession to the Global Green Growth Institute in 2025 further signals official commitment to green growth, water security and sustainable land-use.
This Stunning Ancient Citadel in the Sahara Desert Has a Mysterious Past
For cleantech investors and green-economy players, Algeria presents several promising opportunities: large-scale solar and wind farms, green-hydrogen export infrastructure, water-desalination and recycling projects, circular-economy programmes (especially in waste and sustainable consumption), and smart-grid/energy-efficiency solutions. But successful participation requires navigating structural challenges: regulatory clarity is still evolving, there are high levels of government corruption, technology-transfer and local capacity remain barriers, and financial frameworks for clean-investment need strengthening.
While its environmental challenges are real and significant, its green-economy potential is equally formidable—offering early-mover advantage for cleantech and sustainability investment aimed at North Africa.
(Image from the final episode of Stars of Science: Contestants run to Bassam Jalgha after being announced winner. Courtesy of Porter Novelli) Stars of Science, a Pan-Arab television show focusing on innovate project ideas, was launched by the Qatar Foundation and Education City. The program is a competition across Arab borders intended to locate and […]
Those of you who have been to Egypt’s eastern Sinai coast can vouch that even though the area is quite lovely, it’s also quite dry – from a freshwater standpoint. An American desalination company, Energy Recovery Inc (NASDAQ: ERII), is now changing this fact by installing a very unique desalination plant in Sharem al Shiekh […]
(Countries along the Mediterranean Sea basin) Water policy people will like to know about this initiative: Most countries in what is known as the Mediterranean Sea basin have agreed to form a combined group to deal with issues dealing with water reserves for the region. Based on the Mediterranean Water Charter, adopted in Rome in […]
As African nations sell and lease its land, and birthright, to the world’s super-powers, and arguably “dangerous” countries like Saudi Arabia who support Islamic fundamentalism, we are seeing a brand new kind of neo-colonial land-grab, and it scares me. I’d reported on Galten’s Jatropha seeds for biofuel here, and also on the Israeli conglomerate Ormat, […]
(This AP photo shows a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Spain which reflects light to a central tower to produce power. A pilot project using CSP is underway in Tehran.) Does a country that “promises” to wipe Israel off the map have a right to create nuclear energy for “power?” I must admit, […]