Mitigating risks linked to climate change in Tunisia's vulnerable coastal areas

Ghar El Melh, Kalaât El Andalous, Djerba Island – Tunisia

Dates : 2014-2021

Project leader: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Tunisia; Coastal Protection and Planning Agency (APAL)

Classification

Risks

Solutions

Actors

Costs

Summary

Climate change tends to exacerbate beach erosion, the salinization of agricultural land and the flooding of low-lying coastal wetlands. However, the institutional framework for coastal management in Tunisia does not integrate climate change projections scenarios while the cost-benefits of adaptation are under-assessed and not included in most current investment policies.

The project deployed by UNDP Tunisia and APAL aims to promote innovative adaptation strategies, technologies and financing options to address the additional risks of climate change on populations and essential socio-economic sectors in Tunisia’s most vulnerable coastal areas. Therefore, the project is designed to: 

  • Update regulatory and legislative frameworks to reduce the impacts of climate change on coastal development and make existing facilities more resilient;
  • Implement flexible and innovative risk reduction and water management measures that align with the Integrated Coastal Zone Management; 
  • Provide improved climate information for coastal risk monitoring, early warning system and climate-resilient development planning; 
  • Encourage public and private funds to finance coastal adaptation projects at national and local levels; 
  • The introduction of risk transfer methods to the public and private sectors.

Actions

The UNDP and APAL in Tunisia foresee the updating of regulatory and legislative frameworks to reduce the impacts of climate change on coastal development and make the existing infrastructures more resilient.

Thus, the project aims to ensure the development of regional planning documents (the Master Plan for the Development of the Sensitive Zone of Djerba Island (SDAZS), Ghar El Melh and Djerba Island Coastal Development Plans (PACs)) integrating climate risks and adaptation costs.

This project also strengthens regulations and enforcement mechanisms on the use of coastal areas and entails : 

  • Support for a structured and detailed legal proposal will be provided to integrate climate risk into planning documents such as the Code of Territorial Planning and Urbanism ;
  • A proposal to review regulatory and institutional frameworks on the management of the Public Maritime Domain to reduce the impact of climate risks on coastal development;
  • Advocacy and support to facilitate the ratification of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Protocol;
  • A National Strategy for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (NSICZM).

In parallel, UNDP and APAL promote flexible and innovative risk-reduction measures related to climate change and water management in line with the Integrated Coastal Zone Management. 

This objective is notably supported by the installation of 4000 meters of wooden slates at the foot of the Ras R’Mel spit in Djerba. This innovative measure should reduce the exposure of coastal areas by fixing and stabilising beach dunes.

The project integrated assistance for the inscription of the Ramli crops as an Ingenious System of World Agricultural Heritage (ISWAM) which resulted in the highlighting of a nature-based solution.

An assessment of the vulnerability to climate change in coastal zones, based on the current and projected climate situation up to 2050 and 2100, is carried out. In parallel, two emergency response plans (ERPs) are being developed as a decision-making tool for institutional actors at the project sites to ensure operational management of catastrophic events.

UNDP and APAL are working towards better climate information for coastal risk monitoring, early warning systems and climate-resilient development planning. To this end, APAL’s coastal observatory has been strengthened with hardware and software to upgrade climate change monitoring and provide reliable data for flooding, erosion and submersion risks’ projections.

At the same time, UNDP and APAL are mobilising public and private funds for coastal adaptation projects at the national and local levels; introducing risk transfer methods into the public and private sectors.

Finally, the agencies integrate capacity-building activities for local partners, professional and civil society organisations at the ICZM sites; development planning; post-disaster needs assessment etc. In parallel, key decision-makers and technical officers are trained on coastal adaptation tools.

Outcomes

A spatial management plan based on climate risk was elaborted, called the “Schéma d’Aménagement de la Zone Sensible de l’île de Djerba”.

The ICZM strategy integrating climate change risks into coastal development plans of Djerba and Ghar El Melh has been developed. Strong advocacy was conducted with the Tunisian government to formally ratify the ICZM Protocol. Eventually, a ministerial council approved and submitted the protocol for approval to the parliament. A structured proposal has been legally formulated as part of the Public Maritime Domain (DPM) legislation. Science-based criteria were proposed so that climate change issues can be considered in the delimitation process.

Climate change adaptation capacities have been strengthened at the local level through a small grants scheme granted to 5 selected NGOs in the project sites. 

The acquisition of three tide gauges and the buoy ensure the provision of continuous and updated data. The data is now being processed, shared and used, allowing better vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning. The feasibility study led as part of the project has confirmed that soft techniques such as wooden slates and beach nourishment are effective against erosion from sea level rise and other climate risks.

Sustainability and local stakeholders’ involvement were central throughout the project to secure the ownership of national, regional and local partners during the implementation processes and after its completion. 

Based on the institutional capacities, the project conducted activities with local communities and key decision-makers in the three councils and five municipalities to raise awareness of climate change. As a result, local authorities, communities, stakeholders and NGOs are increasingly conscious of the urgent need to expand the adaptation in vulnerable coastal areas. In turn, the administration and stakeholders increasingly consider that responses should integrate the entire coastline. 

The agreement signing has helped the completion of several studies. This type of partnership will allow the pooling of efforts and subsequently encourage data exchange.

The project has made significant progress despite the difficulties encountered, namely political and institutional instability in Tunisia combined with the COVID 19 health crisis. As a result, a postponement of field activities and workshops for consultation, presentation of study results and validation of deliverables was inevitable.

The lack of coordination and willingness from data producing agencies to share their information has trumped data-sharing on risk assessment.

Partners

Technical partners: State services, regional and local authorities, universities and scientific institutions, civil society and economic actors 

Financial partners: GEF Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF/gef), UNDP, Finnish Government, Tunisian Government 

Resources