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A reservoir management approach requires, regularly, an update of its parameters in order to assure that the reservoir continue to fulfill its role without major failure. In fact, the performance criteria are widely associated with to optimization as tools to assess and compare optimized and initial approaches. In this study, we analyzed the ability of six performance criteria to assess and compare, correctly, six management approaches of the Bin El Ouidane-Ait El Ouarda complex, under varying conditions. Five of the six compared approaches are results of a double optimization phase using the Genetic Algorithm. And the sixth represents the current management approach of the complex. The analysis of the obtained results via the principal component analysis method shows that the optimized approaches are performing better according to all criteria, and negative management practices of the current approach were detected. Additionally, remarks concerning the reliability of the studied criteria were underlined: the very high dependency of the criteria values to the conditions of calculation, the necessity to use various criterion because the use of only one can alter the comparison, the necessity to report in addition to the criterion value its calculation conditions, and the sustainability criterion tends to give an implicit weight coefficient to the parameter having the low value. This paper novelty is that it gave an application example of guidelines to follow and precautions to consider, in order to assess and compare reservoir management approaches, taking into account the question of representativeness of the performance criteria.

In arid and humid contexts, dams’ reservoirs play a crucial role in water regulation and flood control. Under the projected climate change (CC) effects, even a preoptimized management approach (MA) of a reservoir needs to be assessed in this projected climate. This chapter aims to assess the impacts of CC on the Hydroclimatic (HC) variables of the basin upstream the reservoir of Bin El Ouidane (Morocco), and the effects on the performances of its preoptimized MA. The applied Top-Down assessment procedure included CORDEX climate projections, hydrological, siltation, evaporation, and management models. Concerning the HC variables, the results obtained concord with those reported in the literature in terms of trend, but not always in terms of intensity of change. On the other hand, the projections expected a decrease in the performances of the reservoir, except for criterion allocations’ standard deviation, calibrated during the optimization. Also, interesting conclusions have been found like: the change in precipitation dominant form, the accentuation of the pluvial hydrological regime, the advanced snow melting due to the temperature increase. This chapter presents a typical case study on how to use climate projections for reservoir MA adaptation, without being highly and negatively influenced by the climate model uncertainties.

The fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reiterates that the Maghreb region is severely threatened by climate change and seems to be one of the most vulnerable regions in the world regarding its water resources responses to the changing climate conditions. The effects of climate change could significantly increase the relevance of water development policies, given that economic growth of the majority of Maghreb countries is closely related to water resources and contributes strongly to the socioeconomic balance and gross domestic product. In the Maghreb region, the need to mainstream climate change into development plans is already recognized and highlighted; the new constitutions have already adopted the sustainable development concept, which opens opportunities for improvement and protection of natural resources. Over the last decades, countries have tried to overcome water stress and scarcity by improving water policy and strategy, infrastructure development, economy of water use, wastewater, and desalinization, among others. However, the great challenge within the Maghreb region is mainstreaming climate change issues into development planning in the contextual framework of the water–energy–food security nexus, whose components are strongly interdependent. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of climate change on the water sector in the Maghreb region (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) by means of a SWOT analysis (SWOT standing for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and to make recommendations on how to improve climate change mainstreaming into water development plans within the region.