Shortage of Water for Farming, Drinking Due to Tunisian Drought Could Damage Grain Harvest

Tunisia is facing a serious water emergency, after receiving only one-fifth of its normal rainfall since September. The lack of rainfall, after years of continuous drought conditions, has created what one Agriculture Ministry official told Reuters is a “dangerous” situation, and could lead to a failed grain harvest. The official also said that most dams throughout the country are at 25% of their capacity, with some at only 10%. A poor or non-existent grain harvest could further exacerbate the food supply problems that Tunisia is currently facing, due to the global food supply issues that have pushed up global food prices on imports, as well as due to the Tunisian government’s financial problems, which has led to lower subsidies for local farms. At the same time, dairy farmers have been unable to afford to feed their herds due to the rise in price of cattle fodder and have sold their cows off, leading to a shortage of milk and butter in Tunisia. Meanwhile, the government has called on farmers to prioritize their grain crops and, therefore, to stop irrigating their vegetable crops from the dwindling supply of water in the dams, according to Reuters. And even more alarming, some local authorities have limited water supply to farms in order to make sure that there will be enough drinking water. Tunisia currently is preparing studies for new dams and seawater desalination plants for development between 2023-2025, according to Reuters.