Tunisian Agriculture Minister Azeddine Ben Cheikh recently attended a working session focused on introducing mechanisms for financing climate change projects. The session, which discussed ways to mobilize international financial resources for priority agricultural, water, and marine projects, was held in collaboration with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Loss and Damage Fund (FRLD). Minister Ben Cheikh emphasized the importance of developing projects that address national priorities and meet international funding criteria.
The working session aimed to support the Ministry's efforts to mobilize international financial resources and enhance the readiness of national structures to benefit from climate finance mechanisms. The goal is to prepare a portfolio of priority projects that can be developed and financed, responding to national and sectoral needs. The session provided an opportunity to present the objectives and areas of intervention of the GCF and FRLD, as well as the conditions and procedures for accessing available funding.
The discussions highlighted the significant impacts of climate change on Tunisia's agricultural, water, and marine sectors. Rising temperatures, declining rainfall, and increased frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, heatwaves, and floods have put pressure on water resources, agricultural lands, and livestock. The Minister stressed the need to direct climate finance towards practical projects with a positive impact, based on scientific research and technical studies.
Minister Ben Cheikh called for greater emphasis on the role of scientific research in developing projects and setting priorities. He encouraged the use of research results to develop clear, well-studied, and financeable projects. The Minister also urged the Tunisian Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Investments to support the development of projects and improve their readiness to meet international climate finance criteria.
The Minister highlighted the importance of accelerating the use of available climate finance mechanisms, ensuring that proposed projects are realistic, feasible, and directly linked to actual sector needs. He also emphasized the need to include projects related to fisheries and aquaculture in the portfolio of priority climate projects, given the sensitivity of marine resources and ecosystems to climate change.
The working session concluded with an agreement to continue coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment, as well as other national structures, to prepare a national portfolio of climate finance projects. This will involve developing concept notes and prioritizing projects based on their feasibility and funding potential.
The session was attended by several officials and experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment, and other relevant structures. The participants discussed ways to enhance coordination and integration among various stakeholders to develop projects that respond to national priorities and benefit from available climate finance opportunities.
Key points
- The Tunisian government is working to mobilize international financial resources to support priority agricultural, water, and marine projects in the face of climate change.
