Tunisia has implemented programs to combat desertification and land degradation since 1998. The National Action Program addresses strategies, projects, and rural development programs. Institutions were created and over $1.5 billion invested from 1990-2011 in soil and water conservation and forestry programs. This improved forest cover and protected areas. Tunisia is aligning its National Action Program with the UNCCD's 10-year strategy and will continue reforestation, pasture improvement, and updating degradation maps from 2012-2016 as desertification affects 54% of the country.

1. Combat Desertification and
Land Degradation inTunisia
Ministry of Infrastructure,
Land Planning and Sustainable Development
***
Secretary of State for Sustainable Development
***
Director General for Environment & Quality of Life
Hamda ALOUI, National Focal Point UNCCD
Republic of Tunisia

2. Summary
 Basic information
 Programs contributed in combat
desertification/Land Degradation
 Current state of degradation
 Institutions developed to Combat desertification
 Plan (2012-2016)
 Started the Process of the alignment of our NAP
with to the 10 years strategy of the UNCCD
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3. Basic information
 Total area: 16.4 Million ha
 Used lands:11.0 Million ha
 Agricultural lands area:5.4 Million ha
 Forest & Pasture lands:5.6 Million ha
 Forest area:1.1 Million ha
 Pasture area: 4.5 Million ha
 Sahara (unused lands) :5.4 Million ha
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4. Institutions and tools developed to
combat desertification and erosion
 Since 1998 a National Action Program for combating
desertification ‘’ NAP-CD’’ has been developed. It
represents the framework of strategies, programs and
projects based on rural development
 It relies on a rural development strategy that gives
greater emphasis to different aspects of natural
resource protection and to combat desertification
 NAP-CD is a tool for coordinating and integrating
different strategies of natural resources implemented
by the government and to ensure the consideration
of socioeconomic and environment issues.
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5. NAP-CD mainly occur at three levels:
 Institutionally: the creation of the National
Committee to Combat Desertification and local
committee.
 Operationally: the implementation of programs
and projects planning and conducting horizontal
actions to support the implementation of the plan
by initiating a system of monitoring and evaluation
of programs and projects to combat
desertification.
 Financially : increasing mobilization of funds for
natural resources protection.
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6. Programs to combat desertification
and erosion
* NAP adopted since 1998
* Since 1990Tunisia planned many strategies to
improve natural resources management:
Soil and water conservation strategy
1990-2000
2001-2011
Forest development strategy
1990-2000
2001-2011
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7. Soil and water conservation program:
 Construction of Lakes
 Improvement of rivers
 Mechanical terraces
 Watershed improvement
 Stone tapes…
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8. Forestry program:
 Afforestation to extend forest areas
 Pasture lands improvement
 Watershed protection
 forest roads & Materials of fire protection
 Biodiversity conservation and improvement
 Combating desertification in the Sahara
through embankment works
 Creating of protected areas
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9.  Investment
 The participation of private sector ( big framers
and agricultural companies) is about 5% of the
total amount.
1990-2001 2002-2011 Total
Soil and water conservation
programs
434 MDT
(289.3 M$)
559 MDT
(372.6 M$)
661.9 M$
Forest programs 546 MDT
(364 M$)
698 MDT
(465.3 M$)
829.3 M$
Total 653.3 M$ 837.9 M$ 1491.2 M$
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10. Results
 Improvement of forest cover to reach 7% of
total area in 2011 compared to 4.2% in 1990
 Construction of 750 lakes
 Reducing the average area burned from 1500 ha
(1990-2000) to 400 ha (2001-2010)
 17 national parks
 27 natural reserves
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11. Current state of degradation
The index of sensitivity to desertification used
to identify areas affected: MEDALUS
(Mediterranean Desertification and land Use)
Outputs:
 Very sensitive areas: 54%
 Sensitive areas: 40%
 Less sensitive areas:6%
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12. Soil degradation Water erosion
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13. Wind erosion Soil salinity
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14.  LADA- Tunisia: Land Degradation and
Assessment in Drylands
 It’s a tool to measure land degradation, project
funded by FAO.
 Outputs: maps, indicators, analyses
 http://www.ladatunisie.org
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15. Outputs :LADA- Tunisia
Land degradation map Intensity map degradation
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16. Plan 2012-2016
 Continue extending forest area (afforestation) to
reach 10.7% of total area in 2020 (370 000 ha).
 Pasture improvement: 250 000 ha
 Soil embankment : 7500 km
 construction of lakes: 500 lakes
 Watershed improvement : 1 million ha
 Update of :
 Degradation map
 Agricultural land protection map
 Alignment of Tunisia’s National Action Program to the
UNCCD 10-Year Strategy implementation and
Reporting review Process
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17. Supporting the implementation of the UNCCD
Revision and alignment of
the NAP with the 10-year
Strategy of UNCCD
Reporting and Review
process
2 components

18. Supporting the implementation of the
UNCCD
1. Revision and alignment
of the NAP with the 10-
year Strategy of UNCCD
1.2 Enhanced national
capacity to assess baselines
and monitor defined NAP
indicators Review
1.1 The NAP aligned with
the 10-Year Strategy of
UNCCD and
mainstreamed into
development planning and
relevant sectoral
investment plans and
policies
1.3 Improved policy and
institutional framework
and financing mechanisms
for NAP implementation

19. Supporting the implementation of the
UNCCD
2.2.An enabling environment
for preparation of national
reporting cycle to the
UNCCD
2.1 The fifth national
report on UNCCD
implementation prepared
and submitted
2.Reporting and Review process

20. Thank you for your attention
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