Eight million trees. This is the objective that Tunisia has set for itself by March 2026, on the occasion of the National Tree Day 2025, celebrated this Sunday, November 9 under the slogan “تونسنا نرويها وغابتنا نميها” (We water our Tunisia, we make grow our forest).
A national reforestation campaign was launched in Nahli Park (Ariana) and will continue in all regions of the country.
A national mobilization for the climate
Thousands of young people, scouts, schoolchildren and volunteers joined this initiative, a symbol of a collective commitment against environmental degradation.
The operation aims to strengthen the plant cover, stabilize soils threatened by erosion and raise awareness among new generations about the preservation of forest heritage.
According to estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture, these 8 million plants, once mature, will absorb around 120,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per year, the equivalent of the annual carbon footprint of more than 40,000 Tunisians.
An ecological effort which, in the long term, could restore Tunisia to an entire city of clean air.
Natural wealth under pressure
Tunisia has approximately 1.2 million hectares of forests, representing 8.5% of the national territory.
This heritage is home to a varied ecosystem: Aleppo pines, cork oaks, junipers, acacias and fruit trees from rural reforestation.
But this coverage is eroding: 56,000 hectares were lost between 2016 and 2023, mainly due to fires, overgrazing and drought.
Experts warn: this deforestation accelerates desertification, aggravates water crises and weakens the country’s capacity to cope with sandstorms and heat peaks.
Restoring degraded landscapes
To respond to this emergency, Tunisia launched the Forest Agriculture and Restoration of Degraded Landscapes Project (PARFD) in April 2025, financed to the tune of USD 24 million by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
This program aims to rehabilitate 33,000 hectares of damaged forest areas and improve the living conditions of more than 10,000 rural families through sustainable agricultural practices.
At the same time, the national reforestation program provides for the planting of at least 5,000 hectares of trees each year until 2030, to increase forest cover to 12% or even 16% of the national territory.
A “Green Belt” for 2026
The Minister of the Environment, Habib Obeid, took advantage of this day to announce a major project included in the 2026–2030 national development plan: the launch of “Hizam Akhdhar” – the Tunisian Green Belt.
This anti-silt forest cordon, which will extend from Gabès to Gafsa via Sfax, Kairouan and Sidi Bouzid, will constitute the largest reforestation initiative in the country.
Objective: to slow the progression of the desert, expand green spaces, promote local agricultural products and create an ecological lung in the heart of the territory.
“The Green Belt will be a real environmental lung from which the Tunisian citizen will benefit at all levels,” underlined the minister, recalling that a third of the national territory is already made up of forests and pastures, another third of agricultural land, and the last of desert areas “also endowed with remarkable ecological potential”.
The project, scheduled to start in 2026, is part of a logic of climate resilience and long-term green transition.
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Tunisia: 73 million dinars to green its forests and provide 4,500 jobs
