Her government Tunisia today imposed restrictions on drinking water and banned its use in agriculture until September 30, in an attempt to cope with a severe drought that has hit the country, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

Tunisia is suffering from a severe drought for the fourth year in a row. a drop in the water level in the dams was recorded, up to 30% of their maximum potential due to minimal rainfall from September 2022 to mid-March 2023, according to senior agriculture ministry official Hamadi Habib.

The Ministry of Agriculture also banned the use of drinking water for washing cars, watering gardens, and cleaning roads and public places. Violators face a fine and imprisonment for a term of six days to six months.

For the past two weeks, authorities have been turning off drinking water supplies at night in parts of the capital and other cities to cut consumption, residents said. The move sparked outrage. The government declined to comment on the report.

The decision threatens to spark social unrest in a country that suffers from poor public services, high inflation and a weak economy.

The water in the Sidi Salem dam in the north of the country, which plays a critical role in supplying drinking water to several regions, is 16% of the maximum capacity.

Tunisia’s grain harvest is a sign of disaster: this year’s crop has fallen to 200,000 to 250,000 tons from 750,000 tons in 2022, according to Mohamed Rajaibia of the farmers’ union.

Source: RES-IPE