Sustainable Development

Republic of Tunisia

Answer to the Question No. 1:

Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in North Africa's Maghreb region. Tunisia is the
smallest country in North Africa, covering 163,610 km2 (63,170 sq mi) and bordered by Algeria to the
west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. The
eastern end of the Atlas Mountains and the northern ranges of the Sahara desert are part of it, with
most of the remaining land being arable. The African confluence of the western and eastern parts of the
Mediterranean Basin is included in its 1,300 km (810 mi) of coastline.

Tunisia is situated on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Africa. It is a small African nation, with a land
area of only 63,170 square miles (163,610 sq. km). Tunisia has a varied topography and is situated
between Algeria and Libya. Tunisia's northern region is mountainous, while the country's central region
is arid. Tunisia's southern region is semiarid, transitioning to arid desert as it approaches the Sahara
Desert. Along its eastern Mediterranean coast, Tunisia has a rich coastal plain known as the Sahel. Olives
are popular in this region. Jebel ech Chambi, at 5,065 feet (1,544 m), is Tunisia's highest point, located
near the town of Kasserine in the northern part of the country. Shatt al Gharsah, at -55 feet, is Tunisia's
lowest point (-17 m). This region is located in Tunisia's central region, near the Algerian border.

In mid-2019, Tunisia's population was projected to be around 11.6 million. Tunisia's population is one of
the oldest on the continent, despite its youth. This is due to the government's support for a strong
family planning program that has helped Tunisia's economic and social stability by lowering the
population growth rate to just over 1% per year. About 98% of the population is Muslim. On the
southern island of Djerba and in Tunis, there is a Jewish community. A tiny autochthonous community of
Christian followers still exists.
Answer to the Question No. 2:

The Integrated Sustainable Development Goals (iSDG) model is a policy modeling tool designed to assist
policymakers and other stakeholders in understanding the SDGs' dynamic network of interconnections.
iSDG focuses on the complex interactions within the SDG framework to show the best paths and
advancement towards achieving the SDGs, unlike databases and indexes that offer a measure of where a
nation stands.

No Poverty: The ongoing threat of terrorism in Tunisia, as well as the country's post-revolution struggle,
has driven away many tourists, resulting in increased unemployment, especially among young people.
It's taking place in a country that already has deep inequality in the poorer areas where the Tunisian
revolution began. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports from a country in transition.
Poverty is a part of life in Tunisia for many people. The ILO initiated a series of pilot projects in some of
the country's poorest regions, working with the government, labor unions, and local communities to
break the cycle of poverty. The country's strengths include social dialogue and a spirit of collaboration
and participation; in 2015, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the "Tunisian Quartet," which included
representatives of workers' and employers' groups, UGTT, and UTICA.

Zero Hunger: According to the 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI), Tunisia has a low level of hunger, scoring
7.9 out of 50, and this number is continuing to decline. In other words, each year, fewer and fewer
Tunisians go hungry. This is an increase from Tunisia's score of 10.7 in 2000, which indicated mild
hunger. In 2018, it was ranked 28th out of 119 countries that qualified. The GHI score is based on four
indicators: malnutrition, child wasting, stunting, and mortality in children. The fact that the score has
increased over the last two decades means that these causes are becoming less common and that
hunger in Tunisia is improving.

Good Health & Well-being: Tunisia is a great place to visit if you're looking for a relaxing vacation. With
its Mediterranean climate and the sweet scent of jasmine and orange blossom, Tunisia is known for its
hospitality, and well-being is deeply rooted in the country's traditions. From Roman thermal baths to
Turkish hammers, water has always been a source of natural beauty and fitness. Tunisia is now the
world's second-largest thalassotherapy nation, with more than sixty dedicated centers along its
coastline. The number of private clinics established in the country was projected to increase in recent
years, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2025, 75 new hospitals will be operational, more than
doubling the number of hospital beds in the country. These enhancements can make it easier for the
general public to get access to high-quality healthcare.

Quality Education: Tunisia's government has concentrated on establishing an education system that
generates a strong human capital base capable of responding to the evolving needs of a developing
nation since gaining independence from France in 1956. Since the early 1990s, sustained structural
reform efforts, prudent macroeconomic policies, and deeper global trade integration have created an
enabling environment for development. This climate has enabled Tunisia to achieve positive results in
the education sector, putting it ahead of countries with similar income levels and putting it in a good
position to meet the MDGs. According to the HDI (Human Development Index) for 2007, Tunisia is
ranked 90th out of 182 countries and fourth in the Middle East and North Africa region, behind Israel,
Lebanon, and Jordan. Education is the government of Tunisia's top priority, with more than 20% of the
government's budget allocated to education in 2005/06. As of 2006, public education expenditures as a
percentage of GDP were at 7%.
Clean Water & Sanitation: Tunisia has made impressive progress in recent decades in terms of poverty
reduction and rising access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities. Between 1990 and 2015,
more than 4 million Tunisians gained access to improved sanitation, and another 4 million gained access
to water. Given Tunisia's current population of 11 million people, 33 percent of whom live in rural areas,
this is a major achievement. Despite this development, approximately 250,000 Tunisians still depend on
unimproved drinking water from mostly unregulated wells and springs, and 900,000 people use
unimproved sanitation, Around half of the people use shared latrines, while the other half depend on
largely unimproved facilities. There are also significant disparities in the distribution of water resources
between the better-off North and the semi-arid South. Deficits could worsen in the coming years if they
are not addressed. Tunisia is a water-scarce nation, and climate change is expected to intensify water
supply security challenges in the coming years. The opportunities for change in Tunisia's WASH sector
are evaluated and distilled into five straightforward recommendations for the future.

Answer to the Question No.3:

Tunisia faces many of the same problems as the rest of the Arab economies when it comes to
implementing the 2030 Agenda. It is not legally binding and just serves as a reference for the
government. It is also reliant on the government's good will and its own interests. Instability, ethnic
conflicts, immigration and displacement (mostly from Libya), population trends, social inequality,
economic crises, and high public debt are among the challenges it faces. 1 The Tunisian government's
inability to invest in infrastructure and construction projects is often blamed on the economic downturn
and a lack of funding sources.

Tunisia's adoption of the 2030 Agenda took place in a unique political and economic sense. The first
phase of the country's democratic transition ended with the adoption of the new Constitution in 2014,
which was followed by legislative and presidential elections. This new constitution, written in a
cooperative spirit, lays the groundwork for a democratic state. Tunisians' rights and freedoms are
guaranteed, the separation of powers is strengthened, decentralization and participatory democracy
principles are established, and institutional and citizen control structures are introduced. Tunisia has
thus progressed from a period of change to the introduction of new institutions, political bodies, and
principles and laws. This was achieved in part by decentralization and local elections with a distinct
power distribution between the middle and the periphery. Tunisia is also putting in place new legislative
bodies to address the key dysfunctions that have resulted from decades of dictatorship, such as the
Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE), the Human Rights Instance, the Instance for Good
Governance and Corruption, the Instance for Sustainable Growth.

References:

(www.dw.com), D., 2021. Tunisia: Where water is a precious resource | DW | 24.12.2020. [Online]
DW.COM. Available at: <https://www.dw.com/en/tunisia-where-water-is-a-precious-resource/av-
54464457> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

(www.dw.com), D., 2021. Bringing water to Tunisia's struggling farmers | DW | 09.07.2020. [online]
DW.COM. Available at: <https://www.dw.com/en/bringing-water-to-tunisias-struggling-farmers/a-
54082647> [Accessed 13 April 2021].