Tunisia

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Tunisia is part of:
Africa · Arab States · Northern Africa ·
Water Basins of Tunisia:
Medjerda ·

Facts & Figures

edit

Capital

Tunis

Neighbouring Countries

Algeria, Libya

Total Area

163,610 km²

- Water

8,250 km² (5.04%) / 504 m²/ha

- Land

155,360 km²

Coastline

1,148 km

Population

10,102,470 (62 inhab./km²)

HDI^A

0.762 (2007)

Gini Coefficient^A

39.8 (1995)

Nominal GDP^B

$41,770 million

GDP (PPP) Per Capita^B

$8,000

National UN Presence

FAO, UNDP, UNHCR, WHO, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNCCD

Land Use^C

- Cultivated Land

46,810 km² (30.13%)

- Arable

26,489 km² (17.05%)

- Permanent Crops

20,321 km² (13.08%)

- Irrigated

3,940 km²

- Non cultivated

108,550 km² (69.87%)

Average Annual Rainfall^D

207 mm

Renewable Water Resources^E

4.6 km³

Water Withdrawals^F	2.64 km³/yr
- For Agricultural Use	82%
- For Domestic Use	14%
- For Industrial Use	4%
- Per Capita	276 m³

Population with safe access to
- Improved Water Source	93%
- Urban population	99%
- Rural population	82%
- Improved Sanitation	85%
- Urban population	96%
- Rural population	65%

References & Remarks

^A UNDP Human Development Report

^B CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia

^C CIA World Factbook Country Profiles

^D Aquastat - FAO's Information System on Water and Agriculture

^E CIA World Factbook

^F Earthtrends

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1 News
2 Country Profile: Climate, Geography, Socio-Economic Context
3 Country Profile: Water Bodies and Resources
4 Country Profile: Legal and Institutional Environment
5 Country Profile: Water Sector Coordination
6 Country Profile: Trends in Water Use, Management and Sanitation
7 Country Profile: Challenges and Opportunities
8 Articles
9 Projects and Case Studies
10 Publications
11 Who is Who
12 References
13 See also
14 External Resources

News

Country Profile: Climate, Geography, Socio-Economic Context

Tunisia, located in Northern Africa, is bounded by Algeria to the west, by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the south-east, by the Sahara to the south and by the Mediterranean (with a 1,200 km coastline) to the north. The country covers 164,420 km² and has a population of 10.25 million (2007). Its landscape is diverse, ranging from mountains in the north-west to the arid south and the Sahara. In 2006, 66% of the population lived in urban areas (WHO/UNICEF, 2008). Urbanization is expected to continue, largely through migration to coastal areas. On current trends, by 2025 some 75% of the population will live in urban areas. The predominant climate types are Mediterranean in the north and Saharan in the south. Four climatic subregions can be identified: subhumid in the far north, semi-arid in the north-west and at Cap Bon, arid in the centre and hyper-arid and desert in most of the south. Over 40% of the country lies in the hyper-arid zone. Although average annual rainfall amounts to 220 mm, geographic variation is substantial, with regional averages ranging from 1,500 mm in the north to 50 mm in the far south, in the heart of the Sahara. The arid plains that mark the northern limit of the Sahara include many depressions, locally called chotts and sebkhats, which fill with water in winter and dry up in summer. Their water is highly saline. The largest chott, Jerid, is a 500 km² salt lake.

Analysis of changes in average temperature and rainfall in Tunisia over the 20th century (Figure 1.1) indicates that while temperatures have risen significantly, by 1.2°C, no trend in rainfall is apparent, although greater variability can be observed in 1961–1990 than in 1901–1930 or 1931–1960 (King et al., 2007). Since 2006, studies have been undertaken in Tunisia to aid in elaboration of a national climate change adaptation strategy. The aim is to move from reaction to crises, such as droughts and floods, to management of risk associated with climate change (early adaptation). Projections for 2030 and 2050 form the basis of this effort. Models for 2030 indicate a slight increase in the frequency and intensity of dry years, though the northwest might benefit from a slight increase in precipitation in wet years. However, by 2050 the average annual temperature could rise by between 0.4°C and 1.2°C, and the variability of rainfall could increase, especially in spring and autumn (MARH/GTZ, 2006).

Country Profile: Water Bodies and Resources

Tunisia has a dense hydrographic network in the north, whose river basins account for 81% of the national surface water potential. Oued Mejerda, which rises in Algeria, is the biggest river, with an annual water potential of around 0.8 billion m³. The south is characterized by large, deep aquifer networks whose low recharge rates make them barely renewable. Tunisia’s annual water potential is estimated at 4.8 billion m³, with groundwater amounting to about half (2.1 billion m3). In 2005, the exploitation rate was roughly 80% for deep aquifers and an unsustainable 108% for shallow aquifers. (These averages are approximations, as the figures for withdrawal and exploitable resources used in calculation are quite uncertain.)

The high variation in rainfall, amount of arid land and overuse of groundwater resources make storage of freshwater a vital necessity in Tunisia. In 2005, there were 27 large dams, 200 small hillside dams and 660 hillside lakes, with a combined capacity of 1.8 billion m3 per year, amounting to 66% of the total surface water potential. Despite the number of dams, Tunisia lacks major hydroelectric generation capacity. Modest projects carried out since the 1950s have allowed it to exploit 40% of its hydropower potential. Even so, hydroelectricity represents barely 1% of overall energy production. Given the long term rise in fuel prices, however, hydroelectric production is expected to expand.

Of the country’s approximately 110,000 km² of arable land, only 49,000 km² is currently in use, mainly producing grain and olives. In 2006, agriculture accounted for 81% of overall water consumption. Although its share of GDP is gradually decreasing, agriculture still plays an important role in the economy. It employs 25% of the workforce, and was the third biggest contributor to GDP in 2006 at 11%, behind industry and mining (29%) and services (60%). In urban areas, drinking water coverage had reached almost 100% by 1993. Tunisia achieved this by transferring large amounts of water from the humid north to the arid south, and by installing desalination facilities to treat brackish water in the tourist areas of the south-east. In rural areas, access to drinking water expanded from 62% in 1990 to 84%, on average, in 2006. Over the same period, coverage for the country as a whole advanced from 82% to 94% (WHO/UNICEF, 2008).

The share of urban households connected to sewerage was 96% in 2006. In rural areas, where sanitation relies on more traditional methods such as septic tanks and field disposal, access to improved sanitation is around 64% (WHO/UNICEF, 2008). Efforts are also being made to minimize health risks by altering hygiene practices through education.

Industry consumes around 0.1 billion m³ of water per year, of which almost 60% is abstracted from deep aquifers. In the absence of incentives for conservation, water-efficient production processes and water recycling are seldom if ever used.

Tourism is a big source of income in Tunisia with a modest water footprint: the whole sector consumes only 25 million m³ per year, or 1% of the total exploited resource. The rate is slightly higher in the south, where tourism is expected to be developed intensively in the future

Country Profile: Legal and Institutional Environment

Since 1970, as both knowledge about water resources and demand from various sectors have increased, plans and directives concerning water management have been developed in Tunisia.

Source:United Nations World Water Development Report 2 (2009)

A master plan for water use has been implemented for each of the country’s three natural regions – the north, the centre and the south. The master plans include provisions on the transfer of surface and groundwater and on flood protection for large urban centres. These guidelines have allowed water resources to be allocated in terms of present and expected demand from the different users. They have also helped identify the areas where irrigation makes the best use of available resources. The national strategy for water resources mobilization is now in its second decade (2001–2010), and the aim is to mobilize 95% of conventional resources by building dams, reservoirs and flood runoff infrastructure, and to develop non-conventional resources such as recycled and desalinated water. These plans and strategies have helped Tunisia make several reforms since the early 1990s. The most important of these was a transition from supply-side management towards a strategy of demand-driven management. Thus, the emphasis is on institutional, regulatory and technical practices that are likely to change water users’ behaviour, encourage more efficient use of resources and maintain a sustainable consumption level. Measures have also been taken to reduce the environmental impact of water policies, particularly by protecting the most fragile ecosystems and limiting the sources and effects of water pollution.