National Parks
The country has many protected areas that are intended to protect the environment and welcome and educate the public. We will quote in particular:
Boukornine National Park: located near the capital, it is home to remarkable mountain ecosystems. There are more than 200 species of flora. The park also has a great diversity of fauna.
The Ichkeul National Park: located in the north of the country, it is a real reservoir of biodiversity. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a Man and Biosphere reserve, it is home to many migratory birds, around the lake of Ichkeul. Threatened for a while by an increase in salinity linked to water withdrawals from upstream rivers, an emergency plan was put in place under the aegis of UNESCO, which ended in 2006.
Chaambi National Park: located in the west of the country, it is home to the country's highest peak and also to an exceptional biodiversity. Also classified as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, it will delight the visitor with the beauty and diversity of its environments.
Bouhedma National Park: located in the center of the country, in a transition zone between the Sahara and the Mediterranean, it protects a wide variety of environments, including mountain ecosystems (Atlas) and steppe trees.
Jbil National Park: largest national park in Tunisia, in the south of the country, it preserves ecosystems characteristic of the Sahara. It also houses archaeological sites.
The national park of Jebel Chitana - Cap Negro: it protects a remarkable biodiversity of flora and fauna, including endemic species. Mediation actions allow to learn about agricultural practices and to discover traditional knowledge related to plants.
The national park of Zembra and Zembretta: located in the Gulf of Tunis, it houses the islands of the eponymous archipelago. A UNESCO biosphere reserve, it protects the habitats of endemic floral species as well as endangered avifauna (Mediterranean shearwater). It offers beautiful walks.
The prevalent issue of waste
The collection, treatment and recycling of waste are still insufficient in Tunisia. This is evidenced by the inability of the infrastructure to treat household waste, which ends their lives in open dumps, a situation that causes significant environmental and health problems. In 2019, the Borj Chakir landfill will catch fire. In 2020, it is another scandal that splashes until the minister in charge of the environment, dismissed after suspicions of corruption in a case related to the illegal import of waste from Italy. The affair was revealed by a media outlet in November 2020 before the courts took it up. The object of the offence? Containers arrived at the port of Sousse a few months earlier: officially plastic waste intended to be recovered in a recycling center in the country. In fact, it was waste similar to household garbage and "hospital waste". An Interpol report from 2020 also highlights the increase in illegal plastic waste flows since 2018 (linked to the Chinese import ban on this type of waste).
The challenges of agriculture
The Tunisian agricultural model (mainly for export) is based on the exploitation and use of phosphate, which is used because of the poor soil. However, the extraction and processing of phosphate are highly polluting and energy consuming. They contribute to the chronic contamination of the environment and are suspected of having serious health impacts. Agricultural irrigation is the main source of water consumption in a country that is highly subject to water stress and has leaky networks. Excessive pumping of the resource in certain areas has contributed to making water consumption unfit for consumption, through salinization. Faced with these facts, actions have been initiated. Desalination plants exist; however, they have the disadvantage of being energy consuming and polluting. Another solution consists of reinjecting treated water from wastewater treatment plants into the water table. The " Reverdir la Tunisie " project is developing another agricultural model, based on the development of ecological processes and inspired by permaculture. Initiated in 2013 by the Higher Institute of Applied Biological Sciences of Tunis and NGOs, it has led to the creation of several "oasis-forests".
Preserving the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean, an outlet for domestic, agricultural and industrial effluents, suffers from multiple pollutions. The dilapidated or undersized nature of some treatment plants further aggravates this contamination. The textile industry, which is very present in Tunisia, contributes to this pollution (in addition to being a major consumer of water).
Coping with climate change
Tunisia is among the Mediterranean countries most vulnerable to climate change. It could aggravate the phenomena of coastal erosion, water stress and increase the frequency and intensity of extreme events (droughts, floods). It poses the threat of desertification. Tunisia has ratified the Paris Agreements and has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, including a target of 30% renewable energy production by 2030. These objectives are in line with the climate challenge, but are considered unattainable by NGOs.
The challenges of tourism
Tourism is linked to all of the country's environmental issues. It exerts pressure on resources and environments (land artificialisation, pollution linked to waste) and generates greenhouse gas emissions (transport). It is also threatened by climate change (risk of coastal flooding, loss of biodiversity and shortage of resources). However, it is possible to act, by promoting soft mobility, a zero waste approach, responsible purchasing, all of which are valid during the trip but also in everyday actions. Many tools exist to guide you in this quest (Ademe, WWF, zerowaste guides).
