As of September 15, 2025, Tunisian dams were only filled in 28.7%, or 679.6 million m³ of stored water. Despite a slight improvement compared to the average of the last three years, Tunisia remains in a situation of structural water stress, according to the data published by the ONAGRI.
Reserves concentrated in the North
Almost all water stocks remain concentrated in northern dams (91.9%), against 6.3% for the center and only 1.8% for CAP-Bon. The two main dams in the country display worrying levels: Sidi Salem (23.3%) and Sidi El-Barrak (41.6%).
Strongly decreased inputs
Between September 1 and 15, water intake to dams did not exceed 7.7 million m³, a fall of 68% compared to 2024 and more than 80% compared to the historical average. The North received 75.3%of these contributions, far ahead of the center (23.4%) and Cape Bon (1.3%).
A structural shortage
With less than 400 m³ of fresh water available per inhabitant and per year, Tunisia is well below the 1700 m³ threshold defined by FAO to characterize water stress. This situation highlights the country’s vulnerability in the face of drought, climate change and the high dependence of agriculture to irrigation.
