Signing Of Grant Agreement With Tunisia: Contributing To The Sustainable Use Of Water Resources Through The Construction Of An Advanced Sewage Treatment Plant And The Utilization Of The Treated Waste Water As Industrial Water

On February 26, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a grant agreement with the Government of the Republic of Tunisia in Tunis to provide grant aid of up to 3,208 million yen for the Project for the Construction of an Advanced Sewage Treatment Plant in Gabes.

In Tunisia, the entire country is facing the challenge of water shortages, partly due to the recent effects of climate change. In particular, the southern part of the country, including Gabes Governorate, is located in a semi-arid region with low average rainfall, making water supply and demand tight. In addition, 90% of the groundwater in Tunisia is highly saline and thus unsuitable for industrial use, which is one of the challenges hindering industrial development in Gabes and the surrounding region.

This project aims to establish a new advanced sewage treatment plant alongside the existing sewage treatment facility in Gabes, while also ensuring its efficient operation and maintenance. This will enable the stable use of recycled water as industrial water, and, through the conservation of water resources, will contribute to the improvement of the living environment and reduce regional disparities in Tunisia. In doing so, the project will also contribute to the achievement of SDGs Goals 6 (Clean water and sanitation) and 13 (Climate action).

In addition, this project will be implemented using “Grant Aid with Operation and Maintenance (^*).” The operation and maintenance of the facility will be carried out by Japanese companies from the private sector for a certain period of time, and it is expected that the know-how of this sector will be utilized.

(^*) “Grant Aid with Operation and Maintenance” aims to facilitate the acquisition of business and management rights by Japanese companies and utilize Japan’s advanced technologies and know-how for the development of developing countries. It does so by providing grant aid to public works projects that comprehensively carry out a continuum of activities from facility construction to operation, maintenance, and management, with the participation of private companies.

Details for the project are provided below.

Basic project information