The politics of interbasin transfers: socio‐environmental impacts and actor strategies in Tunisia

Abstract

Mediterranean wetlands are of key interest in the preservation of biodiversity. However, their ecological water requirement is in constant competition with human uses, particularly in a context of aridity and climate change. This paper examines the case of the Ichkeul Lake‐Lagoon system located in the north of Tunisia in a river basin that is heavily contributing to the water supply of southern regions through water transfers. It maps out the various actors involved, their stakes, discourses and strategies, and explains the current degradation of the Ichkeul system by unpacking the decision‐making power of these actors. It confirms that marginal social groups, ecosystems and next generations are the main parties affected by current water allocation patterns.

Inside‐out: Chinese academic assessments of large‐scale water infrastructure

“…The notable exceptions to this characterization adopt frames that appear to reflect on water management elsewhere or in the past rather than on contemporary China: as interesting and important as those contributions are, the literature as a whole says little about the politics of infrastructure in China now. There is no sense of the geographically and socially distinct beneficiaries and losers from a project of water infrastructure (Ben Fraj et al, 2019) struggling over their different visions of hydro‐social territories (Rocha López et al, 2019) within changing political environments, in which the political acceptability of state investment in large‐scale infrastructure ebbs and flows (Roman, 2017). Webber and Han (2017) posited the existence of a China “water machine”—a network of corporations, universities, international institutions and arms of the government, together tasked with identifying and framing what are water management issues, formulating standardized procedures for tackling those issues, and then constructing solutions to them.…”

“…While some people enjoy the water or electricity provided by large-scale water infrastructures, those living in source regions suffer eviction from their homes (Rogers & Wilmsen, 2020), loss of livelihoods, threats of flooding, destructions of their communities and heighted risks of poverty and food insecurity (Annys et al, 2018). The beneficiaries of and losers from a project of water infrastructure are distinct, socially and often locationally (Ben Fraj et al, 2019), prompting struggles over different visions of hydro-social territories (Rocha L opez et al, 2019). These struggles over benefits and losses are embedded within changing political economies, in which the political acceptability of state investment in large-scale infrastructure ebbs and flows (Roman, 2017).…”

Connected and disrupted hydrosocial territories: the making of modern socionatures through inter-basin water transfers

“…These cases reflect the justification for IBWTs in the first place, that is, a lack of water in recipient basins. These cases were found in China (Deines et al, 2016;Shao et al, 2003), Spain (Molle & Sanchis-Ibor, 2019), and Tunisia (Ben Fraj et al, 2019). In the north of China, water deficits are projected and expected to increase the use of groundwater, river desiccation, heavy water pollution, and the deterioration of riparian and estuarine ecosystems, and the construction of dams have interrupted water flows (Shao et al, 2003).…”

“…In Spain, the Segura river basin barely has water reaching the sea, due to exploitation of all available water resources available, whether groundwater or surface water, for intense irrigated agriculture (Molle & Sanchis-Ibor, 2019). In Tunisia, a similar situation occurs, with dams allowing a distribution of water resources for irrigation and urban expansion (Ben Fraj et al, 2019).…”

Sensitivity of discharge projections to potential evapotranspiration estimation in Northern Tunisia

“…In this region, actual evapotranspiration is mainly limited by water availability for most parts of the year (Tramblay et al 2017). The catchments are located in a pivotal area, which serves a strategic role as a water supplier for the rest of the country (Ben Fraj et al 2019). Some of the streams feed into wetlands (Lake Ichkeul, Sebkhet Soliman, etc).…”