Climate change, successive years of drought and rising temperatures have led to the daily evaporation of nearly 650,000 cubic metres of water from dams, said Secretary of State to the Minister of Agriculture in charge of Water Resources.
Speaking at a hearing organised on Wednesday by the Agriculture and Food Security Committee of the Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP), Gabouj, whose comments were reported in a press release issued by the Assembly on Thursday, added that all these factors have contributed to a historic decline in dam reserves, which stood at 700 million cubic metres, or a fill rate of 30%.
He pointed out that the ministry is working to find solutions to these problems in order to guarantee the supply of drinking water in the summer of 2024, particularly with the inauguration of the Sfax desalination plant, expected at the end of June.
The hearing, which was attended by the CEO of the Tunisian Water Distribution Utility (SONEDE), the directors of the Génie Rural et de l’Exploitation des Eaux (DGFE) and the Barrages et des Grands Travaux Hydrauliques, focused in particular on the difficulties encountered in supplying drinking water to the regions.
The MPs considered that the answers given by the officials were inadequate and did not reflect a clear strategy for the development of the water sector in Tunisia.
