Improving the management and rationalisation of water demand in order to maximise existing conventional water resources in Tunisia" is what the World Bank advocates in its "Country Climate and Development Report for Tunisia" released Wednesday, ahead of COP28. "Regulation of water demand, including measures such as pricing, quotas and metering, should be a priority," the WB said. It also points out that all national water agencies are "operating at a financial deficit" due to water tariffs that are "well below" production costs. Despite several increases in drinking water and sanitation tariffs in recent years, tariffs remain "insufficient" to cover operating costs, leading to growing financial deficits, according to the international financial institution. The same applies to the prices charged by the National Sanitation Utility (ONAS) for treated wastewater, which are "insufficient" to support network maintenance and additional treatment. As a result, "only about 2% of the irrigated land in Tunisia can be irrigated directly with treated wastewater". In addition, the inadequacy of tariff increases has led to "heavy reliance" by state-owned enterprises on government subsidies to partially cover operating costs. For the WB, demand regulation should be accompanied by targeted awareness campaigns on the value of water and conservation methods. It also advocated the digitisation of the national water management system to improve network monitoring. Establishing a water monitoring system The Bank also stressed the importance of establishing a water monitoring and early warning system to further strengthen water governance and management, and to help people prepare for water shortages and increasing droughts. It also recommended investing in hydro-meteorological and early warning services, implementing the new Water Code and "giving a greater role to the Water Council". In addition, "desalination as a solution combined with wastewater reuse" could "increase water supply by 693 Mm³, according to the Water 2050 strategy." In 2021, per capita water availability in Tunisia will be just 395 cubic metres (m³), well below the absolute water scarcity threshold of 500 m³, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The World Bank pointed out that "after four consecutive years of drought since 2019, water stress has become even more severe. In April 2023, the government began implementing night-time water cuts for households and banned the use of water for irrigation or watering of green spaces and other public areas." Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse