• The TANIT project aims to boost Tunisia’s agricultural resilience through treated wastewater use.

• The initiative is part of the 2025-2027 Tunisia-Italy cooperation program and the Mattei Plan for Africa.

• About 11,500 hectares will be irrigated with recycled water across four governorates.

Tunisia and Italy officially launched on November 3, 2025, the TANIT project, a program designed to promote the use of treated wastewater to strengthen agricultural resilience and food security in Tunisia.

According to a statement published by the Ministry of Agriculture, the project will be implemented in partnership with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Italian Deposit and Consignment Fund, and the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) in Bari.

The initiative is part of the 2025-2027 Tunisia-Italy bilateral cooperation framework and aligns with Italy’s “Mattei Plan” for Africa. Planned activities focus on three strategic areas: wastewater treatment and reuse, improved agricultural performance in pilot zones, and capacity building in training, research, and innovation.

11,500 hectares to be irrigated with recycled water

According to local media reports, the TANIT project will convert treated wastewater from the Tunis region into irrigation water for farms managed by the Office of State Lands. The target areas include Bouraghba, Borj El Amri, El Kheir, Smenja, Enfidha, and Echchâal, covering a total of about 11,500 hectares across the governorates of Tunis, Zaghouan, Sousse, and Sfax. Several wastewater treatment plants—El Attar, Melliane, Sfax, Enfidha, and Agareb—have been identified to supply the recycled water.

The use of treated wastewater for irrigation is not new in Tunisia. Since 1987, the national policy on wastewater reuse has gradually expanded, incorporating irrigated areas supplied by these resources into the country’s agricultural planning.

Data from the National Sanitation Office (ONAS) show that 57.6 million m³ of treated wastewater were reused in 2023, but only 19% of this volume—10.89 million m³—was used directly for irrigating 2,725 hectares, out of 7,794 hectares of land equipped for this purpose.

In this context, Tunisia’s main goal with the TANIT project is to expand the use of treated wastewater in agriculture to ease pressure on the country’s water resources. Agriculture currently accounts for about 80% of Tunisia’s total water consumption.