Launch of RESCOM project activities in Tunisia

A delegation from the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium (MBC), composed of members of the AIFM and Tour du Valat, participated in the first National Steering Committee of the RESCOM project in Tunisia, held in Aïn Draham on 4 June 2024.

 

Zean oaks and cork oaks in Oued Ezzen National Park. ©Martin Fillot

 

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the AIFM, Tour de Valat and theMinistry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Marine Fishing, represented by the Director General of Forests in Tunisia, Mr. Naoufel Ben Haha. This memorandum of understanding formalizes the Ministry’s commitment to supporting the RESCOM project and working closely with the MBC to implement the conservation and restoration actions planned in Oued Ezzen National Park, the project’s pilot site in Tunisia.

Memorandum of understanding signed with the Director General of Forests. ©Martin Fillot

The Steering Committee brought together a broad range of stakeholders involved in biodiversity conservation in Tunisia, including representatives from the General Directorate of Forests (DGF), local authorities, NGOs, local communities, as well as the consultants responsible for developing the integrated and participatory Management and Development Plan (MDP) for Oued Ezzen National Park.

Steering Committee at Hotel Nour El Aïn, Aïn Draham. ©Martin Fillot

The DGF emphasized the need for the MDP to propose innovative Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to make Oued Ezzen National Park a model for the co-management of national parks in the country. The solutions proposed for the conservation and restoration of the park’s different intervention areas (peatland, nursery, pine forest, arboretum, etc.) will enable the DGF to propose an update of the Forest Code.

Oued Ezzen National Park and its great ecological diversity. ©Martin Fillot

A field visit organized with local authorities and consultants enabled the delegation to discover the exceptional ecological richness of the national park and engage with local stakeholders, particularly the various Agricultural Development Groups (GDAs) and the communities living within or near the park. The ambition of the RESCOM project in Tunisia is to reconcile the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in vulnerable natural areas with the socio-economic development of surrounding local communities.

Meeting and discussions with the Oued Ezzen GDA. ©Martin Fillot