During the Tunisian NEL Second Workshop on 8. March 2023 Fethi Abdelli and the Institut des Regions Arides of Médenine (IRA) team presented success stories of using the Nexus approach. Under the topic ’Better management of available water through the recovery of desalinated brackish water for irrigation’ the workshop participants could see what great impact the Nexus approach could achieve after one year of implementation. The goal of Prima Program Nexus-Ness project is adapt Nexus methodologies for fair and sustainable allocation of resource to face socio-environmental challenges in Wadi Jir (Tunisia).
Study area location: THE SMAR pilot in Médenine, South-East Tunisia
The project’s objectives:
- Agricultural valorization of brackish water after reverse osmosis desalination
- Study of water desalination profitability for irrigation.
- Promotion of intensive irrigated agriculture in the region.
- Improvement of the current model of driving dry arboriculture (olive trees).
- Improved living conditions for farmers
Characteristics of the plot:
- Plot management: installation of an irrigation network, Installation of a greenhouses (0.25 ha)
- Well characteristics: Continuous flow of the well: 0.5 l/s., Salinity of water: 4.15 g/l.
- Desalination Station characteristics: Salinity of desalted water: 0.049 g/l., Flow Station of Desalination (20m3 /day)
- Salinity of irrigation water: After mixture desalinated water and water Brute the salinization range between 1.6 to 2 g/l depending on the tolerance of cultures at salts
What concretely is the success story?
1. Farmer economic profits
Total expenditure DT): 22333
Total receipts (DT): 35799
Profits (DT): 13466
2. Social report:
The pilot created permanent jobs throughout the agricultural season and temporary work days.
The operator was very motivated and convinced of the project; it contributed to financing the pilot for 30% of the total cost.
3. Technical report:
The problem of land salinization has been avoided, Goal preservation of the ecosystem is achieved