Kick-off of the regional workshop - Restitution of the "Water Stress in North Africa" Initiative results. Tunis, June 9, 2022

Welcoming all the participants, Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra, OSS Executive Secretary, took the regional workshop - Restitution of the "Water Stress in North Africa" Initiative results, to underline the importance of mobilizing unconventional water to contend with the scarcity of water resources, in a climate change context.

He also indicated that the national and regional summaries were supported by recommendations that aim to find alternatives to the scarcely available conventional water resources in certain regions of North Africa.

Mr. Mathieu Vasseur, AFD Regional Director, took the floor to explain that the increase in temperatures and the decrease in rainfall exacerbate the vulnerability of North African countries to the shortage of water resources.

He welcomed the long-term collaboration between the OSS and the AFD and recalled that the two organizations were working together to set up a program for the conventional water (transboundary fossil waters, treated wastewater and desalination of salt water), development and use.

H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Elyes Hamza, Tunisian Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, officially opened the workshop and paid tribute to the various authorities, the representatives of the relevant institutions and the participants for their unfailing commitment to water resources, their development and sustainable management.

“Water scarcity has serious consequences for economic growth, the social stability as well as food security, jeopardizing the well-being of societies,” he said.
The Tunisian Minister also recalled that the development of regional plans of action as well as the implementation of national governance programs were top concerns of the Ministry of Agriculture and that Tunisia, as always, was willing to exchange expertise, data and information with the different countries.