As Tunisia faces one of the most severe climate challenges in its modern history, water management can no longer be carried out blindly.
To address the urgent water stress, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) has just launched the “Atlas of Water Stakeholders in Tunisia.”
This is not just a simple interactive map, but a true digital tool designed to interconnect all those seeking solutions on the ground to save the country’s resources.
Water emergency and networking
Developed as part of the specific “Coop’eaux” program launched in 2025, this platform is the result of work carried out by Dr. Alexis Sierra and the IRD teams in the Mediterranean.
This project directly supports the stakeholders who work daily to preserve this vital resource, with a human challenge: breaking down siloed work and triggering immediate cooperation.
On the ground, the atlas allows a young start-up or a local association to instantly find the researcher or public institution essential for carrying out a project.
By precisely mapping who does what and where, the tool provides visibility that prevents multiple structures from carrying out the same actions or research in their own corner without ever communicating. Given the severity of the crisis, this atlas serves as a decision-making guide for water management that is finally shared and sustainable.
An open map for everyone
Technically, this online map geolocates and identifies all the active forces in the sector. The major new feature lies in its openness: the tool goes far beyond the scope of public administration.
It brings together on a single interface ministries, scientific research laboratories, civil society associations, agricultural development groups, and private actors such as engineering firms and start-ups.
Present in Tunisia since 1957, this scientific institution deploys its expertise in around thirty countries with the aim of strengthening the capacities of higher education and research among its partners.
Proof of this shared commitment, the institution publishes over 1,300 scientific articles per year, 64% of which are co-publications signed hand-in-hand with researchers from the Global South.
