Facing the Climate Emergency, Tunisia Takes a Major Step with the Organization of the First Nature-Based Solutions Climate Adaptation Conference (ASSISES'ACICT)
Led by the International Center for Innovative Local Governance (CILG), in collaboration with the Canadian Federation of Municipalities (FCM), and in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior (IPAPD) and the Ministry of the Environment, the "Inclusive Climate Action in Tunisian Municipalities (ACICT)" project brought together a wide range of stakeholders: experts, researchers, institutional representatives, elected officials, NGOs, and local communities. All are united around a common goal: to make Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) a central lever for ecological transition and territorial resilience.
Why Nature-Based Solutions?
NBS rely on natural ecosystems to address the impacts of climate change. Accessible, low-cost, and adaptable to all types of environments (coastal, forest, watershed, or urban areas), they enable the absorption of climate shocks while promoting biodiversity, social cohesion, and local development.
A Unique Space for Dialogue and Co-Construction
The ASSISES'ACICT, held from September 16 to 18, in several key events, plenary sessions, discussion panels, workshops, and round tables, constitute a genuine space for dialogue, training, and co-construction. A training workshop, designed as a "living lab," is organized in parallel with the proceedings to strengthen the skills of local stakeholders, particularly in the management of forest, coastal, and hydraulic ecosystems. This collaborative approach involves academic partners, institutional representatives, elected officials, and members of civil society, brought together to design tailored and replicable solutions.
Towards a Policy Paper for Advocacy
The event aims to develop a co-constructed Policy Paper with all local stakeholders, including elected officials from local councils, representatives of municipalities benefiting from the ACICT project, as well as experts and actors from civil society. This strategic document will aim to permanently integrate Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) into local climate change adaptation policies, while incorporating principles of equity, gender, and social inclusion. An advocacy argument will accompany this approach, with the aim of supporting public decision-making and proposing a legal and institutional framework conducive to their implementation.
Concrete Results Expected
Beyond the recommendations, the expected results are concrete: strengthening the technical capacities of local stakeholders, particularly women and young people; improving climate governance at different levels; creating a national network for exchanging good NBS practices; and leveraging Canadian expertise in reconciling local development and nature protection.
A New Dynamic
The first ASSISES'ACICT embodies a new dynamic: that of a paradigm shift where nature becomes a true ally of public action. By mobilizing territories, strengthening local capacities, and establishing a structuring dialogue between all stakeholders, Tunisia is laying the foundations for a more just, effective, and sustainable climate adaptation.
