Wadi El Bey- Tunisia

Description

The Wadi El Bey pilot site is located at about 40 Km at the south of Tunisian capital. It extends over a surface of 430km². It is boarded to the north by the Gulf of Tunis and theTekelsa Hills, to the west by the BouChoucha and the Halloufa mountains, to the south bythe Hammamet Hills, andto the east by the Abderrahman Mountain and the oriental coastal highlands. The main Wadi of this pilot site discharges into the El Maleh Sebkha, which is close to the MED Sea. This pilot site contains various industries operating mainly in the domain of textile and agri-food. Furthermore, it contains extensively cultivated superficies of citrus, oranges, grapes, and vegetables).

Specific problems

The site is caraterised by a high level of pollution as a result of the important development of the industry, agriculture and tourism activities. The main sources of pollution are industrial and agricultural activities and inadequate wastewater treatment. Indeed, four wastewaters treatment plants located in the cities of Bouargoub, Grombalia, Menzel Bouzelfa, and Soliman produce annually 4 million m³ of treated wastewaters. There is a legal framework that regulates the discharge in the receiving environment, ONAS networks and water bodies according several laws (in particular the law N°82-66 of August, 6th, 1982 decree N°85-56 of Jan, 2nd 1985; Decree N° 94-1885 of Sep 12, 1994, Ministerial decree of MALE & MIPME of March, 26, 2018; Norme NT106-002). Despite this legal framework, various industries discharge their inappropriately treated wastewaters in this Wadi, which represents a serious threat on the shallow groundwater quality.

List of stakeholders

• Public authority: BPEH (Office of planning and hydraulic balance of Ministry of agriculture, hydraulic resources and fishery);

• ANPE (National agency of environmental protection);

• Regional agricultural authority (CRDA Nabeul);

• Territorial agricultural authority (CTV Grombalia);

• Local authority: Municipalities of Soliman and MenzelBouzelfa;

• Water utility: ONAS (The national sanitation utility); SONEDE (National water distribution utility)

• Water users associations: associations of farmers (GDA Sammech, GDA Nianou, GDA Turki, GDA Boucharray)

• NGO : Association d’environnement et de développement à Soliman (AEDS) ; Association la recherche en action (REACT) ; JCI Grombalia

• Industries (TMM (Tannery), SOTIPAPIER (Paper industry), El Mazraa, CHAMS, ARALCO (Production of food flavor), SIPAC (Production of Food additives), SNBG (Soft drinks), Blanchisserie Centrale Hôtelière, Coccinelle (Laundry), SPIM (Metal industry promotion company), Establishment Latrous Driss (Wine production), GTS (Jeans washing), SOTUFRA (manufacturer of automotive harnesses and radiators), YAB (Dairy plant), Industrial Zone Management Company of Bouargoub

• The Agency of Extension and Agricultural Training (AVFA)

• National Institute of Meteorology – INM

• APAL (Coastal Protection and Planning Agency)

• API (Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation)

• Academics

• Researchers

• Radio Jeunesse Soliman