Pilot project in Tunisia

The Tunisian coastline extends for some 1,400 kilometres at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. The area encompasses long sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, sand dunes, forest cover, lagoon systems and wetlands - but also significant areas of urban and touristic coastal development.

Flagship marine species to be found along Tunisia’s coasts include red coral (Corallium rubrum), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and Posidonia seagrass meadows (Posidonia oceanica). The enormous marine diversity provides a livelihood for many small coastal communities, for whom artisanal fisheries have been a way of life for generations.

Sustainable coasts in Tunisia
The SMAP III Tunisia project - active in the regions of Kroumirie & Mogods (north-west Tunisia) and Grand Sfax (eastern Tunisia) - of which WWF is a partner, aims at identifying priority actions to promote the sustainable use of coastal and marine resources in Tunisia. The project takes into account local stakeholders’ interests and needs, as well as socio-economic constraints and opportunities.

Coastal areas are complex systems where multiple interests often overlap, with the risk of harming the surrounding environment and jeopardising the livelihoods of local communities.

Managing such complex coastal areas requires an integrated approach, capable of bringing together the multiple interests and harnessing the many coastal resources for the benefit of present and future generations - without endangering the resource base itself. Natural coastal resources cannot be viewed by any one interest group as their exclusive right.


For a healthy marine environment
Almost all coastal and marine areas produce or support multiple products and services, and exclusive sectoral solutions often simply transfer the problem from one area to another. But tourism will not flourish on coasts that have lost their attraction to visitors. Similarly, a strong fisheries sector relies on a healthy marine environment.

Urban sprawl and pollution, as well as industrial and energy facilities, can degrade the environment for all other activities. There is, therefore, a need to bring sectoral activities together to achieve a commonly acceptable coastal management framework - and move the dynamic towards sustainable development.

The SMAP III Tunisia project priorities are being identified and agreed upon through a participatory process involving all stakeholders. Specific plans of action will be developed, building on the results of coastal profile studies and an in-depth analysis of alternative development and conservation options for the project zones.

Protected areas
Another key objective in Tunisia is to promote the creation of new marine and coastal protected areas, to further conserve the pristine coastline and work with local communities for its sustainable development.

WWF's partners for the coastal project (SMAP III) in Tunisia are: MedCities (coordinator of the Grand Sfax project), the Tunisian Coastal Protection and Planning Agency (APAL), the municipality of the City of Sfax, Sfax University, and the Society for the Study and Development of the Northern Coasts of the City of Sfax (Taparura project).

The project is funded by the European Union through the 'Short and Medium-term Priority Environmental Action Programme' which is part of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Barcelona Process). The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is co-founder and associate of the project.