Water scarcity is an increasing problem on every continent, with poorer communities most badly affected. To build resilience against climate change and to serve a growing population, an integrated and inclusive approach must be taken to managing this finite resource.

Water scarcity is defined as a water deficiency or a lack of safe water supplies. As the population of the world grows and the environment becomes further affected by climate change, access to fresh drinking water dwindles.

According to Dr.Raoudha Gafrej :

Dr. Raoudha Gafrej, an international expert in integrated management of water resources and climate change adaptation.

“The serious water scarcity is due to the frequency of drought periods and a decrease in the rainfall rate by more than 55% compared to the annual average,” .

He said that due to evaporation and the erosion of the storage basins, the water levels behind the dams has also decreased to roughly 23%, a rate that must not drop any lower to ensure the integrity of the dam structures.

Raoudha explained that the last five drought seasons followed three dry years and an average year, meaning that Tunisia has experienced eight dry years in the last decade. Together with this, the lack of rainfall has caused a significant rise in temperature which increases the need for water for irrigation and drinking while also accelerating the rate of evaporation.

As precipitation levels are predicted to further reduce, it is expected that by 2050 Tunisia will see a substantial rise in annual maximum temperatures of up to 3.8 degrees Celsius.

According to Raoudha, there are more than 44,000 deep water wells in Tunisia, 30,000 of which are unlicensed, and the government is powerless to shut these down under existing regulations. Several wells have become depleted and there has been a deterioration in water salinity as a result of the increased use of groundwater.

Mabrouka Khedir, founder of the Cosmos environmental media platform, stated that the agricultural sector in Tunisia consumes a large percentage of the country’s water, putting additional pressure on resources. While 77% of Tunisia’s water resources are allocated to agriculture, only 8% of its arable land is irrigated meaning that 92% of agricultural land in Tunisia still depends on rainfall.

Tunisia relies heavily on the rainy season to meet its water needs. However, the country suffers from fluctuations in rainfall patterns, leading to long periods of drought and insufficient rainfall in some areas.

Tunisia also faces the problem of water pollution in its seas, rivers, and groundwater which negatively affects water quality and makes it unsuitable for human consumption.