Environment Minister Habib Obeid stated that “between 300 and 400 km of Tunisian coastline are threatened by erosion due to rising sea levels, and that some sixty Tunisian islands are threatened by flooding.”
At a symposium on “Tunisia’s Challenges in the Face of Climate Change and Environmental Pollution and Ways to Strengthen the Role of Tunisian Diplomacy to Support National Efforts in this Area,” he added that urgent and radical solutions must be found to combat this scourge. He highlighted the existence of a national program to this effect, funded by Tunisia and in cooperation with Germany and the Netherlands, aimed at protecting the coastline (2,600 km) by installing stone barriers to reduce wave intensity and replenish beaches with sand. The minister explained that, during the International Climate Change Conference, efforts were made to convert part of Tunisia’s debt into investments in everything related to climate change and environmental protection, in addition to the upcoming launch of a major project with Italy for the operation and rehabilitation of several wastewater treatment plants. He emphasized that Tunisia has experienced seven years of drought and has lost its biodiversity over the past ten years, leading to the death of a large number of fish and animals, the most recent being the death of several gazelles in southern Tunisia last week. He also highlighted the spread of desertification and rising sea levels, due to several factors, including pollution, the increase in the vehicle population, and greenhouse gas emissions. He emphasized that several ministries will collaborate next September to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Symposium on Oceans and Tunisian Diplomacy will be held next week to call for action to raise awareness among countries and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) about climate change in the Mediterranean and to secure funding for Tunisian environmental projects, such as the Green Belt in central Tunisia.
What's happening in Tunisia?
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for updates.
