Environment
Algeria
Climate
The climate ranges from arid to semiarid, characterized by mild and wet winters alongside hot and dry summers near the coast; it becomes drier with cold winters and hot summers in the elevated plateau regions. The sirocco is a particularly prevalent hot wind laden with dust and sand, especially during the summer months.
Land use
other
81.9% (2023 est.)
forest
0.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
17.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 3.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 13.8% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
75.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane emissions
other
7.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
waste
486.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)
energy
2,561.1 kt (2022-2024 est.)
agriculture
256 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
12.379 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
11% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
Major urban areas face issues with air pollution; soil degradation occurs due to excessive grazing and substandard agricultural practices; desertification is a concern; pollution of rivers and coastal waters results from the discharge of untreated sewage, waste from petroleum refining, and other industrial byproducts; the Mediterranean Sea experiences pollution due to oil waste, soil erosion, and runoff from fertilizers; there is a lack of sufficient drinking water.
Total water withdrawal
municipal
3.389 billion cubic meters (2022)
industrial
181 million cubic meters (2022)
agricultural
7.391 billion cubic meters (2022)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
163.661 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas
105.125 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke
741,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
57.795 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
22.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
11.667 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
Nuclear Test Ban