Tunis, 07 November 2025
The national workshop for the closure and dissemination of the results of the COPERNICEA project was held on 7 November 2025 in Tunis. It marks a decisive step in the implementation process of the Ecosystem Natural Capital Accounting (ENCA) in Tunisia and provides a space for exchanging on the capitalization of achievements, validation of national deliverables, and reflection on the future integration of this approach into public policies.
Organized by the Directorate General for Environment and Quality of Life (DGEQV) of the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with OSS, the workshop brought together representatives of national institutions and key bodies involved in environmental, water, forest, sustainable development, planning, tourism, transport, and defense governance, as well as data-producing institutions, technical and financial partners, and civil society organizations.
The opening session featured remarks from Mr. Nabil Hamada, Director at OSS, Mr. Joel Teyssier, Head of Division at AFD Tunis office, and Mr. Hatem Ben BELGACEM, representative of the Ministry of Environment, who highlighted the importance of ecosystems and the need to establish mechanisms for biodiversity monitoring and valorization.
Discussions structured around thematic panels made it possible to present the project’s main results at national and regional levels. The workshop provided a space for sharing the tools developed for the production and analysis of ecosystem accounts, which now serve as a reference for the continuation of the process in Tunisia. It also enabled an assessment of achievements and strengthened reflection on the sustainable integration of ENCA in national planning.
Special emphasis was placed on communication and the strengthening of ENCA ownership by national institutions and sectoral actors. The exchanges confirmed its relevance in supporting decision-making, monitoring public policies, and enhancing the country’s natural heritage. Thematic studies and case applications were presented, particularly in the sustainable tourism sector, illustrating ENCA’s relevance as a tool for monitoring ecosystem health and their economic valorization.
The workshop was closed by Ms. Awatef Messi, Director-General at the Ministry of Environment, and Mr. Nabil Hamada. They recalled the main lessons learned from the discussions, notably the need to strengthen interinstitutional coordination, improve access to data, and consolidate national capacities to support the technical implementation of ENCA. They also praised the quality of the contributions presented throughout the day.
This meeting enabled participants to reaffirm the importance of continuing the efforts undertaken to consolidate ecosystem accounts in Tunisia and their gradual integration into planning and investment policies. Through its participatory and collaborative approach, the national closing workshop contributed to strengthening the institutional anchoring of ENCA and asserting its role in ecosystem valorization for sustainable development serving the population.