Over 50 participants from several ministries and public agencies from the water, agriculture and environment sectors as well as local and regional water administrations, representatives of water users groups, experts and researchers, and representatives from international finance institutions and agencies convened in Tunis to share the knowledge and strategic Water Demand Management (WDM) options developed under the CMI’s WDM program, focusing on the economic instruments for WDM and the decentralized management of groundwater resources as common goods. The discussions were fuelled by case studies from the Mediterranean and Tunisia and addressed the country’s specific needs and priorities, in the context of the finalization of the new Water Code and the reform of water users’ associations. Working Groups came up with a series of concrete recommendations on water efficiency, water pricing and recovery of water charges, and stressed the need for knowledge exchanges amongst stakeholders and generations, thus laying the ground for a renewed “water social contract” in Tunisia.

The workshop also led to renewed assistance requests from the Tunisian authorities, aimed at duplicating some of the country’s successful experiences in other regions of Tunisia, and promoting a more coordinated, multi-donor approach to Water Demand Management.

Beyond Tunisia, many of the situations and solutions discussed at the workshop are of interest for the whole MENA region.

Resources

Concept Notes, Agenda, Opening and Participants

• Note de concept atelier GDE Tunisie - D. Rojat and F. Maurel, AFD
• Note de concept résumée - D. Rojat and F. Maurel, AFD
• Programme_atelier_GDE_Tunisie - D. Rojat and F. Maurel, AFD
• Discours d'ouverture – S.E. Saad Seddik, Ministre de l’Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Pêche
• Participants – Nejib Saadoun, SCET Tunisie

Resource Materials

• Etude Eaux Souterraines Tunisie – Nejib Saadoun, SCET Tunisie
• Projet UE PAPS Eau – Abderrazak Souissi, BPEH

Presentations

• D. Rojat_instruments_économiques – Dominique Rojat, AFD
• Loubier_Nappes_Theorie – Sébastien Loubier, IRSTEA
• Montginoul_Nappes – Marielle Montginoul, IRSTEA
• Mnajja_Axes_strat_GDE_DGGREE – Abdelhamid Mnajja, DG/GREE
• Souissi_PAPS Eau – Aberrazak Souissi, directeur du BPEH
• DGRE_Eaux_souterraines – DGRE (Anonyme)
• Saadoun_Eaux_S-te - Nejib Saadoun, SCET Tunisie
• Abidi_aquif_cotiers_Gabès – Brahim Abidi, CRDA Gabès

Group Work, Closing Speech and Final Report

• Organisation des groupes de travail – Yann Laurans, IDDRI
• Groupes de travail 1ère session
  • Groupe de travail 1
  • Groupe de travail 2
  • Groupe de travail 3
  • Groupe de travail 4
  • Groupe de travail 5
• Groupes de travail 2è session
  • Groupe de travail A
  • Groupe de travail B
  • Groupe de travail C
  • Groupe de travail D
  • Synthese groupes
• Synthèse des groupes de travail - Yann Laurans, IDDRI
• Allocution de clôture – Rabhi Abdallah, chef de cabinet, Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Pêche
• Rapport final - Nejib Saadoun, SCET Tunisie

Press Coverage

• Communiqué de presse - Nejib Saadoun, SCET Tunisie