A cooperation agreement to implement projects related to the use of solar energy in agriculture in Tunisia was concluded on Thursday between the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ).
The agreement, which aims to strengthen coordination and cooperation between the two institutions, was signed by FAO Representative in Tunisia Philippe Ankers and GIZ Resident Director for Tunisia Matthias Giegerich, according to a statement issued on Friday by FAO.
The main objective is to use the potential of solar energy for irrigation, while ensuring responsible and efficient management of water resources. This is done as part of an integration concept: the Water-Energy-Fuel Nexus, FAO specified.
Discussions focused on synergies between the two organisations, particularly those related to the implementation of parallel projects in several North African countries. In the case of Tunisia, a project implemented by FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries aims to assess the potential and identify the risks of solar pumping and irrigation systems.
GIZ collaborates with the National Agency for Energy Management (ANME), the Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Investments (APIA), the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP) and the Agency for Agricultural Extension and Training (AVFA) to identify and analyse the links between the water, energy and food sectors in Tunisia.
This agreement formalises the existing collaboration on these themes and is seen by both parties as the first step towards broader collaboration.
TunisianMonitorOnline
