Launch of the "Tunisia towards 30x30" Project to Strengthen and Expand the Network of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas
The "Tunisia towards 30x30" project, aimed at strengthening and expanding the network of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPAs) in Tunisia, was officially launched on Friday by the Centre of Cooperation for the Mediterranean of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Med) and the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (SPA/RAC). At the national level, the Ministry of Environment, a government member of IUCN, and the Agency for the Protection and Development of the Coastline (APAL) will coordinate the implementation of this project. This initiative aims to accelerate the national contribution to the 30x30 target of the Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect at least 30% of the planet's land, freshwater, and oceans by 2030. The initiative plans to identify and secure areas of high biological and ecological value in Tunisia to lay the foundations for potential new protected areas, while improving the management efficiency of existing sites. It also aims to promote the autonomy of local communities and ensure the contribution of civil society to conservation objectives. The three-and-a-half-year project (2026-2029) will support Tunisia in strengthening a coherent network of legally recognized, effectively managed, and socio-economically anchored protected areas. Tunisia is home to a rich marine and coastal biodiversity that supports coastal resilience, fisheries, and local livelihoods. With a current coverage of protected areas below 3% of its marine territory, Tunisia has considerable potential to strengthen its protection network and contribute to the 30x30 target of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Protected areas are an essential pillar of biodiversity conservation strategies, particularly in the context of the National Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity (NSAPB) 2018-2030, aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The national target defined in the NSAPB aims to strengthen the network of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPAs) to improve their territorial coverage, through the creation of new areas with ecological interest and high biological diversity. This action should be associated with the development of management plans for all existing MCPAs and ensure their monitoring and evaluation. Tunisia has a significant number of marine protected areas or managed areas with a marine component (18 sites). The majority of these are classified as Ramsar sites (15 sites), while three are designated as Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI). Furthermore, six sites are in the process of being created as MCPAs: the Kneiss Islands, the La Galite archipelago, the Kuriat Islands, Zembra and Zembretta, the northern islets of Kerkennah, and Ras R'mel in Djerba. On this occasion, a partnership agreement was signed between SPA/RAC, IUCN Med, and WWF North Africa, marking the operational launch of the project and consolidating strategic cooperation in favor of Tunisian marine biodiversity. Read also: Tunisian Tourism: Revival through Sustainability
