| Tunisia | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Location |
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| National websites |
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| Embassy / Chancery in U.S. |
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20005 |
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| Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation |
National Agency for Environmental Protection |
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| Non-governmental organizations concerned with conservation | |||||||||||||||||||
| Major Natural Resources | More than half of Tunisia is covered by pastoral land forests which are used for agriculture, supporting such crops as olives, dates, oranges, almonds, grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, and dairy. Its main profits, however, are derived from industries such as the mining of phosphates and iron ore. The petroleum and textile industries of Tunisia are aslo significant. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Major Environmental and Conservation Issues | The major problem throughout Northern Africa is desertification, and Tunisia is by far exempt from this problem. Poor farming techniques, such as overgrazing, along with deforestation, soil erosion, and a limited supply of natural sources of freshwater are all contributing to the problem of desertification. Agricultural land is decreasing, not only because of desertification, but also because of increased salinization and siltation due to the increased erosion of the soil. Other problems facing Tunisia endanger the health of its human population directly. Ineffective disposal of toxic and hazardous materials and water pollution from raw sewage (a problem common in Northern Africa) are posing risks to the well-being of Tunisia's citizenry. Also, like many countries, Tunisia has fallen far short of the ideal global total of ten percent of its land under some sort of environmental protection, protecting less than half a percent of its land. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | Information Sources | ||||||||||||||||||
| Land area |
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http://www.theodora.com/wfb/tunisia_geography.html | |||||||||||||||||
| Area of forest |
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http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/ctr_std/cs-pdf/tunisia.pdf | |||||||||||||||||
| Area of wetlands | |||||||||||||||||||
| Area of territorial waters |
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http://www.theodora.com/wfb/tunisia_geography.html | |||||||||||||||||
| Population: |
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Density: |
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http://www.theodora.com/wfb/tunisia_people.html | |||||||||||||||
| Area protected (ha) (only areas >1000ha) at all IUCN levels: | 44,000 ha | Fraction of land area protected (%): | 0.3% | http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/data_tbl/ | |||||||||||||||
| Major Protected Areas | List of Major Protected Areas | Information Center for the Environment | |||||||||||||||||
| Endemic Species |
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http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/data_tbl/ (in the Biodiversity pdf table) and http://www.tunisiaonline.com/html/environment2.html | |||||||||||||||||
| Endangered, Threatened and Vulnerable Species |
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World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal | |||||||||||||||||
| Extinct Species |
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World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal | |||||||||||||||||
| Species listed on CITES Appendices | CITES-listed Species Database | ||||||||||||||||||
| Legislation | |||||||||||||||||||
| Laws protecting endangered or threatened species | |||||||||||||||||||
| Laws protecting endangered ecosystems | |||||||||||||||||||
| Signatory to CITES |
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| Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention |
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| Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity |
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| Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty |
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| Member of International Whaling Commission |
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| Signatory to other international treaties designed to protect or manage biological resources |
Agreement for the Establishment of a General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean International Plant Protection Convention International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil ,1954, as amended in 1962 and 1969 Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources International Convention relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties Agreement for Establishing the Arab Agriculture Development Organization Agreement for the Establishment of a Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in North-West Africa Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil thereof Amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil ,1954,concerning the Protection of the Great Barrier Reef Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Protocol concerning Co-operation in Combating Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Oil and other Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution Convention on the Prohibition of Military or any other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques Amendments to Annexes to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter concerning Incineration at Sea Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution from Land-Based Sources International Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification , particularly in Africa Protocol for the protection of the Mediterranean Sea against pollution resulting from exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf and the seabed and its subsoil Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area |
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| Natural Resource Use | Information Sources | ||||||||||||||||||
| Fisheries | 400,000 metric tons of freshwater fish produced
83,362 tonnes of marine fish caught (wild catch and from aquaculture) |
http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/ctr_std/cs-pdf/tunisia.pdf | |||||||||||||||||
| Forestry / deforestation | 2,593,000 cubic meters of roundwood produced,
1993 - none was exported
64,000 cubic meters of paper produced, 1993 |
http://www.wri.org/wri/sdis/ctr_std/cs-pdf/tunisia.pdf | |||||||||||||||||
| Ecotourism | |||||||||||||||||||
| Trade in wildlife products | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hunting | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other uses of natural resources | |||||||||||||||||||
| Human Impacts on Natural Resources | Information Sources | ||||||||||||||||||
| Air pollution | |||||||||||||||||||
| Water pollution | Soil erosion is leading to increased siltation and salinization of Tunisia's freshwater supply. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Development activities | |||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced species | |||||||||||||||||||
| Legislation addressing these issues | The National Sanitation Authority, created
in 1974 and under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment and
Land Use Management, fights to prevent and reduce water pollution and preserves
water resources throughout Tunisia.
Tunisia also has a National Commission for Sustainable Development, which was created through a presidential initiative in 1993. The mission of this organization is to protect the country's natural resources while at the same time allowing for economic and social development. |
http://www.tunisiaonline.com/html/environment.html | |||||||||||||||||
| Restoration and Reintroduction | Information Sources | ||||||||||||||||||
| Programs for restoration of damaged habitat | |||||||||||||||||||
| Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species | |||||||||||||||||||
Return to Endangered Species Protection around the World
Page compiled by Matt Hauske as part of a class project in h90 "The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation" (Peter J. Bryant, Instructor), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA