Weather of Arabia - Tunisia is going through an exceptional autumn season due to an extreme drought that has not been witnessed for many decades, which raises farmers’ concerns about another difficult agricultural season. This drought is due to the continued interruption of rain and high temperatures, which results in a decrease in the water level inside the dams.
The Meteorological Institute announced a few days ago that last September witnessed the highest drought rates in 53 years, as a result of the climate changes taking place in Tunisia and the Mediterranean region in general. These changes include the absence of rain and temperatures exceeding the normal levels for the fall season.
Regarding climate conditions, the expert in the field of natural risks, Amer Habbeh, indicated that last September witnessed the second highest level of drought in the past seventy years. In addition, the month of October was no exception, as there were no traditional rains except in limited areas, with weak expectations for an improvement in the climate situation during the month of November. This means that the fall season of 2023 is experiencing a severe drought with little chance of changing this view at the present time.
The expert in the field of natural risks explained that Tunisia experienced eight consecutive years of drought, with the exception of the rainy year 2018-2019, which was characterized by good amounts of precipitation and during which the dams were filled to an acceptable amount, and this contradicts the dry rain record in other years.
Amer Behbeh confirmed that the latest official data indicates that the water level in the dams has decreased to 23.7% currently, which indicates a difficult situation in a country that consumes 2.3 million cubic meters of water daily.
The specialist suggested directing Tunisia's efforts towards quick solutions, including rationalizing water consumption and reducing its leakage through agricultural canals and domestic water transportation networks, which lose a third of their water through leakage. He also suggested considering expanding the use of seawater desalination as an alternative to address water shortages, despite the high cost of this option.
The expert praised Tunisia's recent efforts in establishing dams that act as reservoirs directly connected to the dams to store water when it is full instead of emptying it into the sea. This measure reflects a positive trend towards preserving water resources and combating drought.
It should be noted that the Tunisian government intends to allocate 656 million dinars ($207.8 million) in the draft budget for the year 2024, with the aim of financing new projects in the field of water resources development and combating drought. This funding includes recycling water for use in agriculture and transferring surplus water from the northern regions to the drier central regions, in addition to establishing seawater desalination plants. These steps reflect Tunisia's commitment to addressing the problem of water shortages and addressing the country's water challenges.
The ongoing drought in Tunisia for the seventh year in a row is taking a huge toll on farmers, as the lack of water resources poses a heavy burden, especially on the agricultural sector, which consumes nearly 80% of the country's water resources.
Due to water scarcity, the grain harvest season is affected, the production of olive oil, vegetables and other agricultural crops shrinks, and pastures for livestock herds are difficult to provide, affecting the entire diet of Tunisia.
A member of the Farmers' Syndicate, Laith Bin Bishr, called on farmers to change the agricultural structure and adapt it to climate changes, focusing on grain cultivation as a top priority, as this agriculture plays an important role in securing food for Tunisians. He has also called for reducing the cultivation of vegetables, tomatoes and other water-intensive crops. These measures can be a temporary solution to confront drought and climate change.
Tunisia needs to set new priorities in growing vegetables and fruits according to water consumption, and the need to modify the agricultural structure in the country. Tunisian consumers should participate in these efforts by adapting their eating habits to emergency climate conditions and reducing consumption of large water-consuming products such as oranges, tomatoes, watermelon, and others.
Source: skynewsarabia
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