Tunisia Experiences Exceptional Rainfall After Years of Drought
After Several Years of Drought, Tunisia Sees Abundant Rainfall and Snowfall
After several years of drought, Tunisia has experienced exceptional rainfall and snowfall during the 2025-2026 winter season, showcasing a growing water variability. This shift highlights the need for a structural adaptation of water management policies, based on an integrated approach that balances risk prevention, sustainable resource valorization, agricultural resilience, and food security.
Favorable Outlook for Agricultural Campaigns
Despite the strong variability, the recharge of groundwater aquifers and the improvement of reservoir filling rates, which have reached 67% of their capacity, offer promising prospects for the upcoming agricultural campaigns. In a few months, the situation has significantly improved, with hydrological indicators returning to green until spring 2026. These life-saving rains have thus removed the immediate threat of drought. However, the rationalization of water use remains more necessary than ever.
Interview with Mohamed Salah Glaïed, Water Specialist
Mohamed Salah Glaïed, an engineer and water specialist, shares his analysis of the situation and the main lessons to be learned in this interview.
A Rassuring Hydrological Situation in Tunisia?
After several years of drought, which have exceeded six consecutive years, the 2025-2026 hydrological year appears reassuring after the rainfall that has fallen on most regions of our country. In fact, the North and extreme North, as well as Cap Bon and the Center, have received more abundant quantities than the annual averages.
Promising Agricultural Season
Even better, the agricultural season, especially that of major crops, promises to be promising, with the hope of a record or satisfactory production depending on the regions.
Significant Improvement in Water Reservoirs
The hydrological situation of surface waters or reservoirs has experienced significant improvements. In fact, the volumes have exceeded 1.5 billion cubic meters, representing 67% of the possible volumes, a situation that has not been recorded for more than five years. A reassuring situation, certainly, but which requires optimal vigilance in the use of resources.
Impact on Soil Structure and Groundwater Recharge
No one can deny that for more than seven years, groundwater stocks have been heavily solicited, with excessive withdrawals exceeding the potential of various deep or superficial aquifers or even fossil aquifers.
Challenges in Water Management
Today, the main challenges of the water sector in Tunisia are summarized in several axes: the protection of underground waters against pollution, overexploitation, and anarchic exploitation, the securing of drinking water supply for large cities, rural localities, and institutional or industrial services.
Adaptation to New Uncertainty
The end of predictable hydrological cycles questions classical planning models. How can public policies adapt to this new uncertainty?
Need for a Paradigm Shift
Tunisia has implemented, since its independence, development programs for the realization of water mobilization works and the construction of large dams, and this, for the valorization of hydrological opportunities and riches. More than 400,000 hectares of irrigated surfaces have been realized to produce vegetables and fruits and export surpluses.
Diversification of Water Resources
In the same vein, it is necessary to diversify water resources and master their use, as strategic actions for the years to come.
Priorities for Strengthening Water Resilience
In the short and medium term, the absolute priorities for strengthening the resilience of the Tunisian water model should be:
- Sensitization and optimal use of our rare resources
- Revision of the agricultural map or precisely the crops practiced, passing at a high speed for the use of non-conventional waters through renewable energies
- Solutions to face the hydrological stress we have been experiencing for a long time
Transfers of Water Between Hydrological Basins
The transfer of water between hydrological basins or the interconnections between hydraulic needs are perceived as solutions for reallocation of available water volumes at the national level to reduce hydrological stress in particularly vulnerable regions.
Conclusion
The transfer of water in our country has demonstrated a certain satisfaction among international experts. The Director Plan of the North, realized for more than forty years, reflects the importance of water transfer policies towards areas of use, whether in irrigated agriculture or in the supply of drinking water to large urban agglomerations. However, the interconnections between dams or precisely between watersheds have shown their utility, which was observed during the last rainfall where the floodwaters were channeled from the Béni Métir dam to the Sidi Salem dam through the Bouhertma reservoir. Tunisia has realized more than 10 water transfer systems that connect the different dams of the North and extreme North, the most important in terms of transfer capacity. The Sejnène-Joumine system in the extreme north, which also includes Zerga, Elkbir, Elmoula, Sidi Elbarrak, Gamgoum, Ziatine, Tine, and Elmaleh, and the Sidi Salem dam (the Medjerda) system serve as the main canalization upstream with the Mellègue and Bouhertma dams. Thus, the transfer of water in Tunisia will remain a major issue for a sustainable and efficient management of the country's water resources.
