Resumen de Eau et changement climatique: quelles stratégies d’adaptation pour la gestion de l’eau d’irrigation dans le sud-est Tunisien

Naceur Mahdhi, Mongi Sghaier, Ayoub Fouzaï, Nesrine Kadri

• The objective of this study was to identify the different irrigators’ strategies and to analyze the economic profitability of irrigated production systems in relation to adaptations to the scarcity of groundwater resources in a context of climate change in the South east of Tunisian. Based on surveys of 190 irrigated farms, this research shows that eighty-five percent (85%) of respondents clearly perceive climate change in southeastern Tunisia. These changes result in a decrease and an increasing irregularity of the rains, a disruption of the winter season, a greater frequency of pockets of drought and the decrease of the piezometric level of the water tables. In response to these changes, irrigators have adopted adaptation strategies, the most common of which are: offensive strategy or “chasing”, defensive strategy and contractive strategy. These strategies include various adaptation measures such as annual cleaning and deepening of wells, the use of water saving, the change of the cropping system and the reduction of irrigated area. These readjustments for most of the measures adopted by the irrigators have an impact on the elements of their operating account. In addition, offensive and defensive strategies appear to be the most economically profitable types of adaptation at the 1% level. Knowledge of different adaptation strategies and their economic returns enables adaptation options to be identified that are both realistic in terms of implementation and ambitious in terms of their objectives, and help develop priorities for adaptation of water resources for irrigation.