Middle East and North Africa - Nature-Based Solutions to the Looming Crisis of Climate Change-Induced Water Scarcity in Tunisia - Technical Note - November 2024

Jul 19, 2026

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Nature-Based Solutions to the Looming Crisis of Climate Change-Induced Water Scarcity in Tunisia assesses how climate change affects water-related ecosystem services and quantifies the costs of inaction. The note frames Tunisia’s severe water stress and declining reservoir capacity, linking sedimentation and land degradation to reduced rainfall and rising evapotranspiration. It emphasizes NbS as decision-support options to mitigate water scarcity and ecosystem service degradation, highlighting the need for cost-benefit analysis to compare immediate implementation costs with mid- and long-term benefits.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages56

Reading Time2 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Ecosystem services and water stress context

Role of forests and reservoirs

Need for cost-benefit analysis and NbS

Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Nature-Based Solutions to the Looming Crisis of Climate Change-Induced Water Scarcity in Tunisia Technical Note November 2024 Disclaimer This work is a product of the staff of the World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this note do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors ofthe World Bank or the governments they represent. The mention of private companies in the report is for illustration only, from a very large potential field, and does not necessarily imply endorsement or recommendation. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of the World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting a portion or all ofthis work without permission may be a violation of applicable law. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission to reproduce portions ofthe work promptly. For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with complete information to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. , 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, telephone 978 750 8400, fax 978 750 4470, [http://www.copyright.com](http://www.copyright.com) All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax 202 522 2422, email [pubrights@worldbank.org](pubrights@worldbank.org) Acknowledgments This technical note is the product of the advisory services and analytics work conducted by the World Bank as part of its Tunisia Country Climate and Development Report, which was published in 2023. This note assesses the impact of climate change on water-related ecosystem services and highlights the cost of inaction. It provides critical insights to support decision-making when implementing nature-based solutions (NbS) to mitigate the severe impacts of water scarcity and the degradation of ecosystem services in Tunisia. The report was prepared by Sana Bouguerra (Ecosystem Services Modelling Specialist), Mariem Khalfaoui (Agroeconomist), Amos Abu (Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist), SandrineJauffret (Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist) and Phoebe Girouard Spencer (Environmental Economist) . It builds on a series of background papers prepared with other specialists, including Khaoula Khemiri (Hydrologist), Nessrine Zemni (Agronomist), and Hamza Jerbi (Hydrogeologist), as well as the invaluable contributions and guidance from Tijen Arin (Senior Environment Economist), Massimiliano Cali (Senior Economist), and Marcelo Acerbi (Senior Environmental Specialist) . We would like to thank Marouen Dabbaouni, Aymen Nefzi, Fatin El Euch, Jamel Kailene, Kamel Aloui, and Samir Bel Haj Salah (all Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Maritime Fisheries) as well as Walid Riahi (Ministry of Environment) for their invaluable support and guidance in producing this note. The World Bank also owes thanks to Carole Megevand (Sector Leader – Planet Department (Agriculture & Food, Climate Change, Environment, Social Development, Water) for The Maghreb and Malta) and Maria Sarraf (Manager, Environment department for the Middle East, and North Africa) for providing substantive orientation for the technical work. This technical assistance was funded by the Global Program on Sustainability (GPS), an umbrella trust fund that aims to integrate sustainability considerations into policies and decision-making through the provis

FAQs

Why is Tunisia facing increasing water scarcity risks?

Tunisia experiences extremely high water stress, projected to worsen by mid-century. Climate change is expected to reduce water resources, intensify erosion, and increase land degradation and evapotranspiration, with heavy reliance on groundwater compounding pressures.

How do ecosystems affect water availability in Tunisia?

Forests and ecosystems support the water cycle by protecting water reservoirs from siltation. Reservoirs have faced high sediment accumulation rates, reducing storage capacity and weakening resilience under drought conditions.

What does the technical note recommend to support nature-based solutions?

It recommends more robust actions and the use of detailed cost-benefit analyses. Such analyses help decision-makers compare implementation costs with mid- and long-term benefits for ecosystem services and also evaluate the cost of inaction under climate change.

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Patrick