Tunisia and Italy officially launched the TANIT project on Monday, a strategic initiative dedicated to the valorization of treated wastewater. Part of the Italian “Mattei for Africa” program, this project aims to strengthen the country’s water and agricultural resilience while supporting the transition to a more sustainable economy.
For sustainable water management
The launching ceremony was held in Tunis, in the presence of the Secretary of State for Hydraulic Resources, Hamadi Habaieb, and a high-level Italian delegation representing the Italian Embassy, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Italian Deposits and Consignments Fund and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari.
The TANIT project is structured around three main axes:
- Treatment and reuse of wastewater for agricultural purposes.
- Support for research and innovation in the field of water management.
- Training of agricultural stakeholders for efficient use of resources.
An extended national scope of action
According to Hamadi Habaieb, this cooperation “is of strategic importance in a context of increasing water stress”. The official stressed that the project will make it possible to better exploit unconventional resources and support national efforts for sustainable and resilient agriculture.
The project will concern several wastewater treatment plants located in El Attar, Melliane, Sfax, Enfidha and Agareb. Treated water from Greater Tunis will be reused for agricultural irrigation over a total area of 11,500 hectares, distributed between the governorates of Tunis, Zaghouan, Sousse and Sfax. The farms concerned are located in particular in the public agricultural domains of Bouargoub, Borj El Amri, El Khair, Semenja, Enfidha and Chaâl.
For its part, the Italian delegation reaffirmed Rome’s commitment to supporting Tunisia in its sustainable development projects, while announcing the strengthening of the 2025–2027 bilateral cooperation program. Both parties insisted on the need to maintain close technical coordination to ensure the success of the TANIT project.
Water, agriculture and training at the heart of exchanges
This initiative is part of the continuity of the strategic partnership between Tunis and Rome, reinforced by the visit of the head of the Italian government Giorgia Meloni to Tunis on July 31, 2025, where she was received by President Kaïs Saïed.
This visit aimed to accelerate the implementation of the Mattei Plan for Africa, while deepening cooperation in the areas of migration, energy and agriculture.
Exchanges between the two governments focused in particular on the TANIT project and the upcoming creation of a regional agricultural training center, two flagship actions of Tunisian-Italian cooperation. These initiatives reflect the common desire to include development in a sustainable and inclusive approach, centered on water and food security.
Read also
