The Green4Value project, titled “Management, conservation and valorization of biodiversity in Tunisia’s arboretums: socio-economic challenges and sustainable perspectives”, led by the National Institute for Rural Engineering, Water and Forestry Research (INRGREF), was officially launched on Tuesday during a scientific meeting held at the Institute’s headquarters in Tunis.
According to its coordinator Issam Touhami, the project is part of a national dynamic aimed at promoting sustainable management of natural resources and the valorization of biodiversity in Tunisia.
Integrated into the GREEN IMPACT program, supported by the environmental action support program “Green and Sustainable Tunisia” funded by the European Union, the project aims to strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of Tunisia’s arboretums as strategic spaces for preservation, scientific research and socio-economic development.
Arboretums are important reservoirs of plant biodiversity, playing a key role in the conservation of forest and medicinal species, climate change adaptation, and environmental awareness. However, these areas remain insufficiently valued from scientific, economic and territorial perspectives.
In this context, the Green4Value project seeks to strengthen the management and conservation frameworks of arboretums in Tunisia to ensure the protection and resilience of this unique forest heritage, and to promote the valorization of forest resources and high-value species in order to stimulate local and rural economic development.
It also aims to encourage multidisciplinary scientific research on biodiversity, develop sustainable approaches integrating environmental, social and economic dimensions, and strengthen collaboration between academic institutions, scientific bodies and development actors.
The project’s kick-off meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on biodiversity challenges and sustainable valorization prospects, and to reinforce cooperation mechanisms between the various partners. These include INRGREF, the Biotechnology Center of Borj Cédria (CBBC), the Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir (FPhM), the General Directorate of Forests (DGF), and the Tunisian Association of Forestry Technicians (ATTF).
