Study site description: Zeuss Koutine, Tunisia

Table of Contents

1. Responsible IP partner
2. General Information
   1. Site selection
   2. Local partners
3. Bio-physical description
4. Socio-economic description
5. Institutional and political setting
6. Relevant end-users / stakeholder groups
7. Past and on-going projects

Site selection

The site was selected for the following reasons.

• From the ecological and socio-economic point view it is considered representative of the region of south east Tunisia where desertification is a major concern.
• Since 1995, many integrated research projects for development cooperation (funded by the EU, CSFD, USDA, Flanders, etc.) have been undertaken in the same region such as: WAHIA (water harvesting impact assessment), MEDRATE (Evaluation of rainfed agriculture in the Mediterranean), GISTUN (GIS for watershed management), Jeffara, SUMAMAD (Sustainable management of marginal drylands).
• Major development projects have been carried out: soil and water conservation strategy, water resources mobilization strategy, natural resources management and livelihood improvement (World Bank); rural development programs; basic infrastructures (water, electricity, roads, etc).
• IRA contributed actively in 2006 in the elaboration of the local action plan for combating desertification as part of the NAP-UNCCD in the county of Béni Khédache.