According to the latest data released on Friday by the National Observatory of Agriculture (ONAGRI), the overall fill rate of dams in Tunisia stood at 35.7% as of March 7, 2024.
Water reserves in these facilities remained relatively stable compared to the same period last year, at 840 million cubic meters (m³).
However, compared to the average recorded over the past three years, there has been a slight decline of 4.6%.
It is important to note that the fill rate varies significantly across regions. Dams in the north of the country have a fill rate of 41.1%, accounting for 90% of the total water reserves in Tunisia’s dams.
In contrast, dams in the Cap-Bon region have a fill rate of 32.3%, while those in the central region are at just 13.8% of their capacity.
ONAGRI also highlighted that water inflows into the dams on March 7 reached 2.960 million m³, with nearly 1.9 million m³ coming from dams in the north. Total water usage from the dams on that day amounted to 1.226 million m³.
The Ministry of Agriculture is working to address the water scarcity issue by either raising the height of existing dams or constructing new ones, such as the Upper Mellegue Dam.
Water scarcity challenges
Tunisia ranks 18th globally in terms of drought and 20th for water stress, according to data from the World Resources Institute.
These figures are included in a report titled “Climate Inflation: Challenges and Opportunities in the Face of Climate Change,” prepared by the Arab Institute of Business Leaders.
The report underscores the major challenges Tunisia faces, including rising temperatures, declining rainfall, and increasing water scarcity and drought.
Over the past three decades, Tunisia has experienced a temperature increase of approximately 0.4°C. For instance, the average temperature between May and September 2022 was around 27.9°C, but it dropped to 27.1°C in the summer of 2023.
The agricultural sector, which consumes about 80% of the country’s water resources, is particularly vulnerable to these climate changes.
This poses a significant challenge in a context of dwindling water resources.
Tunisia is currently in a state of water stress, with only 420 cubic meters of water available per capita annually—a deeply concerning situation. As dam levels continue to decline and water stress intensifies, this vital resource is becoming increasingly scarce.
While some blame irresponsible water usage by citizens, authorities also bear a share of the responsibility for this critical issue.
