A seminar on the theme “Tunisian coastline adaptation to climate change,” was held on Tuesday in Tunis on the occasion of the launch of a UN led project to reinforce the adjustment capacity of the Tunisian coastline to climate Change.
The event is organized by the Coastline Protection and Fitting-out Agency (APAL), in association with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The project is part of a comprehensive program of “Africa’s adaptation to climate change”. Some twenty African countries among which Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon, Gabon and Burkina Faso, will take part in the event.
This project aims to reinforce adjustment capacities of the coastline to climate change, by conducting targeted sector-based surveys and researches.
Financed by the Japanese Government by means of 3 million dollars, this two-year project is also meant to ensure better information and knowledge sharing on the various adaptation actions, to identify funding options that would cover costs of adaptation to climate change and set up long-term dynamic mechanisms to manage risks resulting from climate change, as part of a comprehensive and integrated approach.
On the occasion, Mr. Nadhir Hamada Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development said that the project of coastline adaptation to climate change will reinforce Tunisia’s coastal and sea ecosystem protection programs, which extend over more than 1600 km and include over 60 islands and islets and 70 coastal humid areas.
He noted that the action plan adopted to reduce vulnerability of the ecosystems revolves around a number of axes aimed to prevent sea erosion, shield coastal lowlands, preserve coastal water resources and protect vulnerable sea and coastal ecosystems.
For his part, Mohamed Belhocine, the United Nations Development Program resident representative in Tunis advocated a greater South-South cooperation to guarantee the sustainability of adaptation to climate change.