Tunisia’s water reserves remain at critically low levels, with national dam capacity at just 28.7% as of mid-September 2025, according to data released by the National Observatory of Agriculture (ONAGRI). The stored volume of 679.6 million cubic meters underscores a persistent structural water crisis, despite a marginal improvement compared to the three-year average.
The situation is exacerbated by a highly uneven distribution of the country’s remaining water reserves. The vast majority, 91.9%, is concentrated in dams located in the north. The central region holds a mere 6.3% of reserves, while the Cap-Bon area struggles with just 1.8%.
Two of the nation’s most critical dams are reporting particularly worrying levels. The Sidi Salem dam, a primary water source for the capital and surrounding areas, is only 23.3% full. The Sidi el-Barrak dam stands at 41.6% capacity, highlighting the severe strain on the country’s water infrastructure.
Compounding the problem is a dramatic decline in recent water inflows. Between September 1 and September 15, the total inflow into all dams was a meager 7.7 million cubic meters. This represents a sharp decrease of 68% compared to the same period in 2024 and a staggering drop of more than 80% below the historical average. The northern region received 75.3% of these minimal inflows, further widening the regional disparity.
The dam levels are a symptom of a deeper, structural shortage. With less than 400 cubic meters of renewable freshwater available per person annually, Tunisia falls far below the 1,700 cubic meter threshold defined by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to indicate water stress. This data confirms the country’s high vulnerability to drought, climate change, and the heavy demands of an agriculture sector reliant on irrigation.
TunisianMonitorOnline (ONAGRI-Editorial Staff)
