Edition No. 3
Tunisia's dams drop below the 30% fill mark
At the height of summer, the dams' reserves reach a critical level, under the effect of several years of deficient rainfall.
Context
The Tunisian dam system, concentrated in the north of the country, is the main reserve of surface water. After several consecutive years of below-average rainfall, the accumulated stock has not been able to rebuild. The winter inflows only partly offset the withdrawals, and summer evaporation is speeding up the decline.
This level lies well below the average of the last decade for the same period.
Why it matters
The dam water supplies both the drinking water of several large cities and irrigation. When the stock falls, the trade-offs harden: rationing, rolling cut-offs, restrictions on irrigation. Tunisia already ranks among the countries below the water-scarcity threshold defined at the international level.
To understand why the country is so exposed, see our reference explainer: Understand Why Tunisia is particularly exposed