Tunisia is improving its water situation after five years of drought, thanks to significant precipitation in 2024-2025. Nevertheless, the country remains faced with water stress and the overexploitation of its resources.
During a press conference organized Tuesday by the Nomad 08 Redeyef association and the National Water Observatory, the expert in water resources Houcine Rhili stressed that the damage rate of dams reached 41% in June 2025, against only 19% in November 2024. This improvement is allocated to significant precipitation recorded throughout the year.
However, Rhili recalled that Tunisia remains under water stress. The water safety rate of dams, which culminated at 64% in 2019, continues to regress, and the largest dam in the country, Sidi Salem, only displayed a filling from 24% to September 8, 2025. It insisted on the need to revise national policies to preserve water resources, while the evaporation of dams reaches daily 700,000 m³, or 60% of national drinking water consumption.
29.3% dam filling rate
The rate of filling of the dams in Tunisia reached 29.3% on September 9, 2025, according to data published Tuesday by the National Observatory of Agriculture (ONAGRI). The overall volume of water stored in dams amounts to 692.6 million m³, an increase of 27 % compared to the same period of 2024. Despite this significant improvement, the current level remains 8.3 % lower than the average of previous years, estimated at 639.3 million m³.
The regional distribution shows a high concentration of resources in the north of the country, which holds around 92% of the reserves. In these dams, the filling rate reaches 34.3%. On the other hand, the center dams show only a rate of 9.6% (43.1 million m³), while those of Cap Bon (northeast) reach 19.9% (12.3 million m³).
Over 8,000 illegal wells in Kébili
The expert has also alerted to the overexploitation of underground layers in several regions, including Kébili, where the exploitation reaches 220% due to anarchic boreholes. More than 8,000 illegal wells are identified, threatening the sustainability of resources. Rhili criticized the introduction of an article in the 2026 finance bill on water amnesty, believing that it could encourage new illegal boreholes.
SONEDE: 220,000 m³ of water lost each year due to leaks
Hamza El Fil, head of the laboratory desalination and valuation of natural waters at the research center and water technologies, added that 220,000 m³ of water are lost each year due to leaks on the SONEDE network, or 35% of national consumption. He also reported high salinity levels in certain regions, reaching 3.5 g/l in Ouedhref (Gabes), well beyond national standards of 1.5 to 2 g/l.
The conference was an opportunity to announce the upcoming creation of an advisory committee within the Tunisian Water Observatory, according to the recommendations of the 1ʳᵉ National Meeting of Water organized in April 2024 in Hammamet. This body should help better supervise the management of water resources in the country.
