This was my first time attending an IW LEARN workshop on February 9, 2026, and I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of conjunctive water management projects across Asia (CMDA) and Latin America (Guarani and Pantanal).
Similarly, presenting Medprogramme activities in the context of conjunctive water management was an opportunity to show other partners the specific framework for managing the Ras Jebel aquifer in Tunisia and its associated ecosystems, which was supported by UNESCO's professional team and proved to be a very enriching experience both professionally and personally.
The approaches adopted for implementing regional projects varied across countries' political and socio-economic contexts, and it was possible to visualise successful activities, challenges in implementing other components, and associated technical, social, or financial constraints.
The transboundary water management projects were highly relevant and constitute concrete approaches to better manage the Djeffara aquifer shared by Tunisia and Libya, and the Northwestern Sahara Aquifer System (Système Aquifère du Sahara Septentrional - SASS) shared by Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya.
The technical presentations, knowledge, and tools provided innovative perspectives on the governance and conjunctive management of surface water and groundwater in the context of climate change.
I cite, for example, Morocco's experience in participatory management at the watershed level by local committees equipped with regulatory and legal texts, which has been a well-appreciated national perspective in Morocco and constitutes an approach to be replicated in Tunisia after the after the enactment of the new Water Code, which will enable local authorities in Ras Jebel to create a local steering committee ensuring participatory regional involvement in conjunctive water management and, consequently, the transition from spontaneous to planned management.
The IW:LEARN workshop enabled us to identify future activities to strengthen the institutional aspects of surface and groundwater governance, as well as projects for modelling coastal aquifers vulnerable to seawater intrusion, using the well-developed 3D salinity modelling approach implemented by Deltares within the framework of the MedProgramme project.
I would like to express my gratitude and thanks for the invitation to this workshop.
AMRI Faouzi
Director of Groundwater
Directorate General of Water Resources,Tunisia
Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries