AFRICA

Tunisia

Area: 163,610 km²

Geography: The climate of Tunisia is influenced by the Mediterranean and the Sahran climate: In the north, there is a temperate climate with mild as well as rainy winters and hot and dry summers. In the south, arid climate conditions can be found. Important in agricultural production are wheat, milk, tomatoes, barley and olives. Olive oil is amongst the main export commodities. (CIA, 2022)

Land Degradation: In 2008, 75 percent of the total land area was threatened by land degradation. Desertification is one of the major problems for development originating from overgrazing, deforestation, agricultural practices and salinization. (Aloui, 2008)

Sustainable Land Management: Land conservation has been the focus of national policies for almost 30 years. Tunisia has elaborated a National Action Programme to combat desertification in 1998. (Aloui, 2008; UNCCD, 2000)

ELD ACTIVITIES

  • Case Study on Drought Resilience (2024)

    Implemented by GIZ Tunisia, the ELD Initiative and partners currently conduct a study process in Tunisia on the costs and benefits of agroecological practices in olive production for drought resilience. The study is implemented as part of the ELD-UNCCD Global Report on the Economics of Drought Resilience and will feed into the final report.

    Learn more about the ELD-UNCCD Global Report on the Economics of Drought Resilience and its country case studies.

  • Case Study (2024)

    Title: Rain-fed agriculture and ecosystem services: A question of resilience in the light of climate change
    Authors: Sara Hernandez, Gerardo Garcia
    Content: The agricultural sector is a key pillar of Tunisia’s economy in terms of food security, income generation, employment, and natural resource management. Rain-fed agriculture plays an important role, making up 92% of Tunisian agriculture. Rain-fed agriculture depends on rainfall (green water), which makes it vulnerable to climatic hazards and land degradation.The ELD study aimed to assess the economic value of sustainable land management versus the cost of inaction, in order to promote resilient, economically viable rain-fed agriculture in the Northwestern and Central-Western Regions of Tunisia. 

    The study is implemented in cooperation with the Direction Générale de l'Aménagement et de Conservation des Terres Agricoles (DG ACTA) under the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture and the project "Soil Protection and Rehabilitation of Degraded Soil for Food Security" (ProSoil).

CONTACT

ELD Secretariat
E-Mail: info@eld-initiative.org