Tunisia... Immediate Measures to Combat Drought

The Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture has announced an immediate implementation of a rationing system for drinking water supply, prohibiting its use in agriculture until the end of September due to a severe drought affecting the country. The Ministry stated that it has also banned the use of drinking water for washing cars, irrigating green spaces, and cleaning streets and public places, adding that violators will face penalties. According to water law, violators can be fined and face imprisonment from six days to six months. The law also grants authorities the right to suspend connections to drinking water supplied by the government water distribution company. Mohamed Rjaibia, a representative of the Tunisian Farmers' Union, predicted a "disastrous" grain season with an expected decline of about 75 percent in yield due to the severe drought. The levels of Tunisian dams have decreased by one billion cubic meters due to a lack of rainfall from September 2022 to mid-March 2023, according to Hamadi Habib, the Director General of the Office of Water Planning and Balances in the Ministry of Agriculture.