The timid return of rain in January gives hope but not to the point of dispelling concerns about worsening water stress.
A checkered winter in Tunisia. A low rate of precipitation as well as a rise in temperatures for the month of December were observed across the country. The timid return of rain in this month of January certainly gives hope, but not to the point of dispelling concerns about the worsening of water stress. These climatic changes are revealing, according to experts in the field, a “palpable danger” which awaits Tunisia. It is indeed the drought that risks threatening the food security of the country and the Tunisians, in the event of a prolonged deficit of rainfall.
This winter, which started late, is a worrying indicator of dramatic consequences on the availability of water resources, while the dams are almost dry. If after long months of waiting, winter has finally settled in Tunisia and scattered rains have fallen in several governorates, the situation does not seem to have changed. The distribution of precipitation was uneven, where the south was slightly affected while torrential rains fell in the north and the far north, reported the National Institute of Meteorology (INM). Other parts of the northwest were covered in snow. The rain long awaited by farmers and relatively heavy in some regions, remains, however, insufficient…
-” The situation is very difficult”
“The situation is very difficult,” said Hamadi Habib, director general of the planning and water balance office at the agriculture ministry.
Last December alone, the filling rate of all Tunisian dams did not exceed 29.5% as of October 25, 2021, he said, during an intervention on Television national. Recalling that the quantities of water in the dams are “very low” and estimated at around 660 million cubic meters.
He attributed this drop in dam reserves to climate change and the last three droughts experienced by Tunisia.
Environmental activists have sounded the alarm about the effects of global warming which, according to them, have materialized in the daily lives of Tunisians. A situation widely mocked on social networks when “swimmers” fell back on the beaches to sunbathe under a December sun.
According to the National Institute of Meteorology, Tunisia recorded the hottest month since 1950 last November, when the average temperature exceeded the benchmark rate by +1.5 degrees.
– Tunisia is in the grip of a possible drought
In a statement to Anadolu, Hamdi Hachad, Engineer in Fisheries and Environment Engineering, specializing in climate, estimated that “Tunisia is experiencing a water emergency this year due to global warming and the drop in the amounts of precipitation that we have. accustomed to recording during such a period”.
He added that “the percentage of dams filled so far has been estimated at 27%, which represents a significant drop from previous years. water,” he warned.
The expert alerted against possible threats that could affect the economic aspect, namely agriculture. Farmers will be the first to suffer such pressures, as they will no longer have to opt for certain water-intensive crops.
Hachad criticized the inaction, among others, of the government, which according to him, has not taken urgent measures to face this alarming situation nor worked to review the file relating to water governance.
Moreover, the engineer in fisheries and environmental engineering estimated that “Tunisia lives in a state of poverty in water resources and is exposed to water stress because some dams have completely dried up and others are at levels critics. While the absorption capacity of others does not exceed 50%”.
– Economic imbalance
Asked about the impact of the drought on the Tunisian economy, Hachad recalled that “Tunisian society is an agricultural society par excellence, and that the drop in rainfall can consequently lead to a drop in exports and therefore an economic imbalance and social crises”.
The agricultural sector plays a key and crucial role in the country’s national economy since it ”generates around 13% of the GDP (17% with agro-food) and employs around 16% of the working population”, according to Jean-François Richard in his book, ”The future of Tunisian agriculture faced with the liberalization of trade”.
You should also know that Tunisia is suffering from the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine as well as political instability.
Hachad, moreover, warned against “frightening scenarios that could threaten the Tunisian economy. ”It is up to the government to react. Water is economic and social stability, and its decline will pay dearly for these consequences”.
Still, in this same context, Hachad underlined ”the imperative to take care of the maintenance of the hydraulic installations, because more than 50,000 km of water drainage channels for the dams lack maintenance, and large quantities of water are wasted before they reach their destination.
And our expert adds: “There is a need for ethical reviews of water waste because the percentage of private swimming pools is growing with distinction and the owners do not pay any tax”.
He also said that “ornamental crops use significant amounts of water, and these random behaviors of certain elite circles need to be reviewed,” he said.
Experts have warned of three types of drought. A meteorological drought when it hits farmland. This can cause crop damage.
With regard to hydrological drought, they mentioned the reduction of rivers and the severe drawdown of the water table. Drying up of wells, the only source of drinking water in certain regions will be observed there. People will be affected by water shortage when socio-economic drought sets in.
