Tunis — On the occasion of the National Tree Day, placed this year under the slogan "a tree today, a forest tomorrow", extensive reforestation campaigns have been launched across multiple Tunisian governorates for the 2026-2027 season. These initiatives aim to plant hundreds of thousands of saplings and restore hundreds of hectares of forest and pastoral land, thereby combating desertification and preserving the country's natural heritage.
The Regional Commissiary for Agricultural Development (CRDA) in Ben Arous has planned the planting of 110 hectares of forest areas, as part of its annual forest and pastoral reforestation and vegetation cover restoration programme for the 2026-2027 season.
Contacted on Sunday by TAP, Head of the Forestry Service at the Ben Arous CRDA Dhafer Ben Othman indicated that the department plans to reforest 60 hectares, restore vegetation cover on 20 hectares, create new wooded areas on 40 hectares and carry out pastoral reforestation on 50 hectares of land.
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With nearly 22,563 hectares of forest cover, accounting for 33.18% of its total estimated area of 68,000 hectares, the Ben Arous governorate boasts a valuable natural heritage. Its forests, composed notably of junipers, Aleppo pines, eucalyptus and acacias, play an essential role in combating the erosion of agricultural land, protecting water resources and preserving the region's natural wealth.
In the governorate of Kairouan, 400,000 forest tree saplings are to be planted over a total area of nearly 300 hectares, under the regional reforestation programme for the new 2026-2027 season.
This campaign was launched on Sunday at Jebel Chaker, in the Aïn Jloula delegation.
In a statement to TAP, Head of the Forestry District at the Regional Commissary for Agricultural Development (CRDA) of Kairouan Hassine Rfigui indicated that this programme provides for the planting of 220 hectares under contracts entrusted to specialised companies and 80 hectares through regional and national worksites.
For its part, the Regional Commissary for Agricultural Development (CRDA) of Kébili launched, on Sunday, a 30-hectare reforestation programme, which provides for the planting of more than 29,000 young saplings adapted to the region's climate (tamarisk and pine) in order to combat the phenomenon of desertification, Forestry Official at the commissary Khamoussi Khabkab told TAP.
In the Tozeur governorate, the reforestation programme kicked off on Sunday, with the planting of nearly 200 Tecoma trees along the tourist route.
Regional Forestry Official Imed Ben Jlila told TAP that 40 hectares of forest (20 hectares) and pastoral (20 hectares) land are set to be planted under this programme.
For this year, the goal is to reach an afforestation rate of 40% to 50%, compared with 20% during the previous year, the same source added.
In the sousse governorate, the planting of nearly 6,000 olive trees was launched on Sunday, whilst the Municipality of Sfax plans to plant 5,000 trees over a period of six months, as part of its efforts to strengthen the botanical heritage, expand green spaces and improve the urban landscape.
In the Kef governorate, Governor Walid Kaabia launched, on Sunday, a campaign to plant about 332,000 forest, pastoral, windbreak and ornamental saplings across municipalities and various public and private institutions.
This afforestation campaign falls within the framework of the national strategic plan launched by the General Directorate of Forests to restore forest ecosystems. Spanning from 2026 to 2035, the plan aims to enhance the capacity of forests to adapt to climate change by reforesting 30,000 hectares, in response to the significant losses sustained by the forest wealth during the summer, according to a governorate press release.
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In the Zaghouan governorate, the "We Plant the Future" project, initiated by the Tunisian Scouts was a major highlight of the regional celebrations for the National Tree Day.
This environmental initiative, established in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, aims to support the national strategy for environmental protection and the fight against climate change by planting 100,000 trees over an area exceeding 100 hectares within a year and a half, and it seeks to consolidate environmental awareness and enhance the participation of young people and civil society actors in environmental protection.
Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries Ezzeddine Belchikh, who chaired the event alongside Zaghouan Governor Karim Berengui and First Delegate Ghazi Masoud, planted the first of 500 trees scheduled by the Tunisian Scouts for the occasion.
Read the original article on Tunis Afrique Presse.
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