Tunisia - The seawater desalination plant at Zarat in Gabes governorate will be operational by the end of January 2024, said Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries Abdelmonem Belati.

He was speaking to TAP, during a working visit to the governorate of Kairouan on Friday to inquire about the launch of the floating station in the Sidi Saad dam basin.

Belati added that other desalination plants will be installed in Sfax and Sousse, in addition to the one in Djerba, which was commissioned in 2018, as part of the efforts to rationalise water consumption and preserve the right to drinking water, especially for future generations.

The Minister explained that his visit was part of a programme to monitor water resources in light of the consequences of climate change, which has led to a significant shortage of water resources, despite the recent good rainfall in the country and its positive impact on dams.

In this context, he noted that the current stock of water in dams was estimated at 720 million m3 as of Friday. However, he pointed out that this was still some 200 million cubic metres less than at the same time last year.

With regard to irrigation water, the Minister stressed the need to make the best use of treated waste water as an additional resource.

The floating station in the basin of the Sidi Saad dam in the Menzel Mhiri delegation is part of the implementation of the project to develop irrigated areas in the governorate of Kairouan.

The station, costing 3.4 million dinars, will be able to exploit around 5 million m3 of untapped resources, currently estimated at less than 30 million m3.

It will be equipped with a photovoltaic power plant at a cost of 2.3 million dinars, to be completed by the end of 2024.

The floating station will contribute to the irrigation of the Sidi Saad irrigation perimeter, which covers an area of 5,700 ha and provides a source of income for almost 1,000 farmers.

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