{"id":34441,"date":"2026-05-13T18:50:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T16:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/?post_type=news&#038;p=34441"},"modified":"2026-05-13T18:50:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T16:50:57","slug":"tunisia-shifts-drought-strategy-as-afdb-report-outlines-long-term-resilience-plan","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/tunisia-shifts-drought-strategy-as-afdb-report-outlines-long-term-resilience-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Tunisia shifts drought strategy as AfDB report outlines long-term resilience plan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">T<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">he study, released by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Tunisian authorities, presents a comprehensive framework for <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">dealing with<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> increasingly frequent and severe droughts.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Rather than focusing on emergency responses, the report calls for a sustained transformation in planning, regulation, and investment to build long-term resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The analysis shows that water stress has become a defining feature of Tunisia\u2019s climate. Over the period from 1950 to 2018, nearly 60% of years were classified as dry, indicating a persistent and entrenched pattern.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Future projections suggest conditions will deteriorate further. Rainfall in central and southern regions could fall by up to 25% by 2100, while temperatures are expected to rise between 2.5\u00b0C and 5\u00b0C, increasing evaporation and reducing water availability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Population growth, economic activity, and agricultural demand are amplifying the pressure. Agriculture alone consumes around 80% of Tunisia\u2019s water resources, while water used for drinking supply has risen significantly, from 296.2 million cubic metres in 2002 to 447.2 million cubic metres in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">These combined factors have shifted the country into what the report describes as a structural water crisis, requiring coordinated action across sectors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">To address these pressures, the report sets out six priority areas aimed at transforming how drought risk is managed:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Stronger coordination across fragmented water institutions<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Development of a national early warning system to anticipate drought conditions<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Reform of legal and regulatory frameworks governing water use<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mobilisation of innovative financing to support adaptation investments<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Strengthening of technical capacity across national, regional, and local levels<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Promotion of more responsible water use across society<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The approach is designed to move Tunisia away from reactive crisis management towards anticipation, planning, and prevention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AfDB Transition States Director Yero Baldeh said the report reflects a shift in thinking about climate risk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Baldeh said the country is no longer dealing with short-term water shortages, but with long-term climate transformation, requiring an integrated response that links policy, institutions, and investment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The framework aligns with Tunisia\u2019s National Water Strategy to 2050, positioning water security as a core pillar of economic and social stability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Despite the scale of the challenge, the report notes that Tunisia already possesses key assets, including technical expertise and established policy frameworks. The central issue lies in coordination across institutions and levels of government.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AfDB North Africa Deputy Director General Malinne Blomberg said the priority now is to connect existing capacity into a unified system capable of delivering results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Blomberg described the report not as a conceptual document but as a practical tool, identifying institutional bottlenecks and providing targeted solutions adapted to Tunisia\u2019s governance structures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The report frames water management as a cross-cutting issue that will shape Tunisia\u2019s economic trajectory. Agriculture, energy, urban development, and social stability are all closely linked to a reliable water supply.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Without reform, persistent drought conditions risk reducing agricultural output, increasing food insecurity, and widening regional disparities, particularly in already vulnerable areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The findings underline that resilience will depend not only on infrastructure investment, but on coordinated policy action, efficient resource allocation, and behavioural change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Tunisia\u2019s response, as outlined in the report, signals a broader shift across North Africa, where climate adaptation is becoming central to long-term development planning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8211;AfDB\/ChannelAfrica&#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":34442,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-34441","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Tunisia is moving to overhaul how water scarcity is managed, with a new joint report highlighting that drought conditions are no longer temporary shocks but part of a bigger structural change in the country\u2019s climate system.","published_date":"","news_description":"Tunisia is moving to overhaul how water scarcity is managed, with a new joint report highlighting that drought conditions are no longer temporary shocks but part of a bigger structural change in the country\u2019s climate system.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/34441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/34441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34443,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/34441\/revisions\/34443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=34441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}