ALGIERS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya on Wednesday signed an agreement in Algiers to establish a consultation mechanism for the management of shared groundwater resources in the Sahara region, the official APS news agency reported.

Algerian Minister of Hydraulics Taha Derbal, Tunisian Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries Abdelmonem Belati, and Libyan Deputy Minister for Water Resources Mohammed Faraj Qunidi signed the deal, stressing the importance of deepening understanding and intensifying information exchange about shared water resources.

The three officials also underscored the need for political commitment, adequate funding, and collaboration with research institutions to ensure the effective operation of the mechanism and its contribution to regional stability, food and water security, and economic development.

Algeria, Tunisia and Libya share a vast groundwater aquifer on their common desert border, which is considered one of the world's largest groundwater areas, with 70 percent of its volume located within Algerian territory.