We would point out that a collaboration between the SMART IWRM Medjerda project and the CIRAD was carried out within the framework of a research master’s degree of the ESIM student Arij Ferjani on “Development and testing of a methodology to support concerted local governance of groundwater in Aousja Ghar El Melh”. During three years of fieldwork, The SMART IWRM Medjerda project has developed and signed collaboration agreements with various actors involved in the water resources management in the OGM area, including farmers, Agricultural Development Groups (GDA), Regional Agricultural Development Commissions (CRDA), international cooperation organizations, researchers, and CIRAD as well.
Additionally, the SMART IWRM Medjerda project led many events and organized several participatory workshops to incite decision-makers and researchers on the importance of this case study and to sensitize all local actors to work together to find participatory solutions to face the problems of water scarcity and to preserve the resource and ensure its sustainability.
In order to continue the fruitful debate of the first workshop organized by the SMART IWRM Medjerda project in collaboration with CIRAD on May 24th, 2022 in Bizerte ( put the link), the same participants of local actors were invited once again by CIRAD to be part of a national workshop dealing with other case studies in Tunisia such as Besissi, Kebili and Limaoua. The round table of the Aousja Ghar el Meleh (OGM) case study was animated by the participation of the SMART IWRM Medjerda project students realizing their research in this study area under the supervision of Dr. Fatma Trabelsi such, Jerbi Mahjouba (workshop reporter), Arij Ferjani, Houssem Mekni, and Afrah Khaled.
The debate was focused to discuss what worked well in the water management of OGM? What were the problems encountered? What lessons do we conclude from this case study? What recommendations for other territories or at the national level? At the end of this fruitful exercise, the outcomes of the concluded debate were presented to all participants of the national workshop by Arij Ferjani, and Houssem Mekni.
