Tunisia's Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Maritime Fishing, Azzedine Ben Sheikh, has launched the national workshop to present the results of the "Updating the Bioclimatic Map of Tunisia" project. The project aims to provide updated and reliable data to respond to the requirements of future agricultural planning. The minister emphasized that the bioclimatic map update is a strategic step to develop planning tools and management in the agricultural sector.
The update of the bioclimatic map is crucial due to the increasing challenges posed by climate change, including rising temperatures, declining rainfall, and increased frequency of droughts and floods. These changes have significant economic and social impacts on Tunisia's agricultural sector, which contributes around 10% to the country's GDP. The sector is expected to suffer losses of 5-10% of its GDP by 2030 due to climate change.
The current bioclimatic map of Tunisia was created in 1976 and no longer accurately reflects the country's current climatic characteristics. The update will incorporate the latest climate data, re-determine the boundaries of bioclimatic floors, and monitor emerging local climates. The project is financed by the World Bank as part of the Emergency Response to Food Security project (PRUSA).
The updated bioclimatic map will be integrated into a geographic information system, providing a advanced database to support decision-making and direct agricultural policies. The map will help improve resource management, enhance the resilience of production systems, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Five working sessions were organized with various regional agricultural development delegations to review the project's results.
The project adopted a participatory approach, involving various stakeholders in its implementation. The updated bioclimatic map will serve as a basis for reviewing the agricultural map and guiding the geographical distribution of various crops according to bioclimatic characteristics and areas of agricultural suitability. This will improve crop selection, optimize natural resource use, and increase production yields.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Maritime Fishing has entrusted the National Center for Cartography and Remote Sensing with the implementation of this project. The center conducted the update work, which included organizing working sessions and validation of the data. The project also includes training sessions for representatives of regional delegations and officials responsible for managing the system.
The update of the bioclimatic map is a strategic project that will support Tunisia's agricultural sector in addressing climate change challenges. The project will help improve agricultural planning, resource management, and production yields, ultimately contributing to the country's food security and sustainable development.
Key points
- The updated bioclimatic map will provide a reliable database to support decision-making and direct agricultural policies in Tunisia.
- The project aims to enhance the resilience of production systems and promote sustainable agricultural practices in the face of climate change.
- The bioclimatic map update is expected to improve crop selection, optimize natural resource use, and increase production yields in Tunisia's agricultural sector.
