The general fill rate of dams stood at 36.1% on 11 July 2023, with rates of around 42.4% in the north, 14.7% in the centre and 8.9% in Cap Bon, according to the figures for July 2023 published on Tuesday by the National Observatory for Agriculture (ONAGRI).
The Sidi Salem and Sidi Barrak dams recorded rates of 42.1% and 45%, respectively.
On the other hand, the reserves of the Barbara and Moula dams reached 97.5% and 99.3%, respectively.
Overall dam reserves stood at 837.7 million m3 on July 11, 2023, compared with 976.5 million m3 during the same period in 2022.
This shows a drop of 26.8% compared with the average for the same day over the last three years, which stood at 1035.7 million m3.
These reserves are broken down as follows: 91.4% in the north, 7.9% in the centre and 0.7% in Cap Bon.
Total inflows for the period from September 1, 2022 to July 11, 2023 were around 677.9 million m3, considerably lower than the average for the period (1841.7 million m3) and the inflows for the same period in 2022 (1081.2 million m3).
These inflows are broken down as follows: 92.3% in the north, 7.3% in the centre and 0.4% in Cap Bon.
Over the period from September 1, 2022 to July 11, 2023, 156.4 mm of rain fell across the country, with the highest amounts recorded in the north.
The rainfall recorded in May and the first half of June, which reached 56.3 mm and 12.3 mm, respectively, helped reduce the rainfall deficit compared with the average for the period.
This deficit varied between 21% in the north and 45% in the south-west.
Until mid-May 2023, Tunisia faced its fourth year of drought.
The filling rate of dams nationwide was 30.3% during the period from September 1, 2022 to May 18, 2023.
In response to this situation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fisheries decided in March 2023 to impose a temporary ban on certain uses of water and to introduce a system of short-term rationing to deal with the country’s current water shortage.
Until September, it will be forbidden to use the drinking water distributed by Sonede networks for agricultural purposes, irrigation, cleaning public spaces and washing cars.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse