Tunis: A small Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday at the Government Palace in the Kasbah recommended the preparation of a final version of the new Water Code, taking into account the comments made by those present at the meeting, to be submitted to the Cabinet for ratification. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani and attended by Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries Abdelmonem Belati, Minister of Health Ali Mrabet, Minister of State Property and Land Affairs Mohamed Rekik and Minister of Environment Leila Cheikhaoui. In his opening remarks, Hachani praised the participatory approach that has been followed for years in preparing the draft of the new Water Code and reaching this final stage, according to a statement from the Prime Ministry. He stressed that the water code adopted in 1975 was no longer up to date with the current water situation in Tunisia, particularly in view of the impact of climate change on the Mediterranean region, which requires the protection of water resources and the strengthening of their management. According to the Minister of Agriculture, the new draft Water Code aims to reform the management of public water resources, establish integrated and sustainable management mechanisms, adapt to climate change and preserve and enhance water resources, which falls within the preventive and anticipatory dimension of the project. At the level of the organisation and governance of public ownership of water, the new Water Code provides for the establishment of various structures at the sectoral, national and regional levels and establishes the right to drinking water in accordance with the Constitution. The draft code emphasises the need to stabilise public ownership of water, regulate the management of water abundance and drought, and improve the governance of water resources. By adopting a new water code, Tunisia aims to establish a national information system to track public property and provide for the use of non-conventional water and feeding water tables . Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse