Water sector in Tunisia: challenges, reforms, and investments
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Related Links
- Tunisia: World Bank Supports Strategic investments in the Water Sector
- Project profile
- Water Water and Sanitation Strategy
- ‘Water in Arab World’ Puts World Bank Wisdom on Tap
- Water Sector Brief in MENA region
July 2009 - Tunisia is preparing to address the important water challenges of the next few decades as a result of growing demand and shrinking supply. Tunisia’s institutions will face increasingly complex management challenges.
The Tunisian government continues to pursue the reforms and investments outlined in the 1999 strategy. It developed a ten-year water sector support Program (2001-2011), organized around three specific aspects: (i) integrated water management and conservation; (ii) economic efficiency of water use in agriculture; and (iii) institutions restructuring and capacity building in the water sector.
World Bank’s support
Supporting investments in the Tunisian Water Sector. A loan agreement for the equivalent of US 30.6 million USD has been approved on May 28, 2009 to support strategic investments in the Tunisian water sector.
This project aims to:
- Promote more efficient management and operation of selected public irrigation schemes by participating farmers;
- Improve access to and consumption of drinking water for rural households in communities un-served at the beginning of the project;
- Enhance the quality and availability of technical information needed to support decision making in the field of integrated water resources management.
The project builds on an initial phase and will continue to support the transition led by the Tunisian government towards integrated management of supply and demand, of water quantity and quality and of surface and groundwater.
The project will continue to support national investments in policy innovations, physical investments and strengthening of local, regional and national institutions.
Financing
The project is also jointly financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the French Development Agency (AFD). The total cost of the project is $163 million USD equivalent, to be financed by loans ($122 million USD equivalent), the Government of Tunisia ($33 million equivalent) and grants from various sources (approximately $7 million USD).
Press Release
Water and Sanitation Strategy in Tunisia
At the request of the Tunisian Government, the World Bank mobilized a team of multidisciplinary specialists to prepare a strategy for the water supply and sanitation sector in Tunisia.
This strategy is a comprehensive overview of the institutional, organizational and economic aspects of the sector. Based on an analysis of the current situation, this strategy examines the strengths and weaknesses of the sector and review reform options of reform that address upcoming challenges and provide the highest level of service at the lowest possible cost for urban and rural beneficiaries. It is a strategic analysis meant to identify the main axes of reforms that should be implemented based on the results of this reflection.
Data on Tunisia’s Water sector
- Tunisia is a Mediterranean country with limited water resources of 4,860 million m3/year
- Agriculture uses the majority of the water resource base, although the potable water share of these resources will slightly increase from 13.4% in 2010 to 17.7% by 2030. The industry and tourist sectors are expected to maintain limited usage of water resources.
- In 2006, urban water, rural water, and urban sanitation coverage rates, have reached respectively 100 %, 91 %, and 80,9 %.
Regional Data on Water Sector
A new book, “Water in the Arab World: Management Perspectives and Innovations”, offers a comprehensive set of ideas, analysis, and reflections on managing the Middle East’s water resources more efficiently and sustainably.
It deals with water-related topics as diverse as the expected impact of climate change on the Middle East and North Africa, to irrigation and desalination technology and the art of water diplomacy.
For more information, please visit the Projects website. seen at 18:37, 2 July in WorldBank. Find original source (feeling lucky?).
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