Early Warning System

Regions

Middle East and North Africa

Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.

Countries

Tunisia

Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.

Specific Location

North of Tunisia

Whenever identified, the area within countries where the impacts of the investment may be experienced. Exact locations of projects may not be identified fully or at all in project documents. Please review updated project documents and community-led assessments.

Financial Institutions

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.

Project Status

Proposed

Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.

Bank Risk Rating

Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."

Voting Date

Jul 22, 2026

Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.

Borrower

Government of Tunisia - Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulics Resources, and Fisheries

A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.

Sectors

Infrastructure
Water and Sanitation

The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.

Investment Type(s)

Loan

The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.

Investment Amount (USD)

$ 81.36 million

Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Currency conversion note:
Bank reported 70
Converted using 2026-05-15 exchange rate.

Project Cost (USD)

$ 182.01 million

Bank Documents

Primary Source

Original disclosure @ EBRD website

Updated in EWS Jun 21, 2026

Disclosed by Bank May 15, 2026

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Project Description

If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

According to bank provided information, the investment involves the provision of a senior loan of up to EUR 70 million in favour of the Republic of Tunisia to finance the development of a water transmission pipeline from the Dam of Sejnene (part of the Governorate of Bizerte) to the city of Bejaoua (part of the Governorate of Tunis).

The Project is part of the Large Water Transfer Programme, developed as part of the "Eau 2050" strategy. The key objective of the Project is to improve the efficiency of water resources in Tunisia by transferring any surplus water captured in the dams of the rainy regions of the North of Tunisia to the drought-prone ones in the centre of the country.

The Borrower is the Republic of Tunisia represented by the Ministry of Economy and Planning. The Project will be implemented by the Directorate of Large Hydraulics Works and Dams (Direction Generale des Barrages et des Grands Travaux Hydrauliques) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulics Resources, and Fisheries (Ministere de l'Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Peche Maritime), acting as the Project Implementation Unit.

Early Warning System Project Analysis

For a project with severe or irreversible impacts to local community and natural resources, the Early Warning System Team may conduct a thorough analysis regarding its potential impacts to human and environmental rights.

Category B (2024 ESP). The construction of an 80 km additional pipe alongside an existing water transfer scheme dedicated to drinking water and irrigation is associated with impacts that can be readily identified and managed through appropriate environmental and social management plans.

Private land and residential areas will be avoided to the extent possible but cannot be excluded. Building on the existing LALRF, a Land Acquisition and Livelihood Restoration Plan (LALRP) will be prepared in line with EBRD ESR 5/WB EES 5 standards and implemented before land-related impacts occur.

The Project is not located within a protected area or a Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), however about 2km of the alignment is located within 50-200m of Ichkeul Lake, which is a National Park, World Heritage Site and considered Critical Habitat for several bird species.

The ESIA and ESDD did not identify any cultural heritage site or artefact on the Project's route, and a chance find procedure will be developed as part of the ESMP to manage incidental discoveries.

Investment Description

Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

A senior loan of up to EUR 70 million.

Contact Information

This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

Contact information not provided at the time of disclosure

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can request information by emailing: accessinfo@ebrd.com or by using this electronic form: https://www.ebrd.com/eform/information-request

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF EBRD

The Project Complaint Mechanism (PCM) is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the PCM, it may assess compliance with EBRD's own policies and procedures to prevent harm to the environment or communities or it may assist you in resolving the problem that led to the complaint through a dialogue with those implementing the project. Additionally, the PCM has the authority to recommend a project be suspended in the event that harm is imminent.

You can contact the PCM at: pcm@ebrd.com or you can submit a complaint online using an online form at: http://www.ebrd.com/eform/pcm/complaint_form?language=en

You can learn more about the PCM and how to file a complaint at: http://www.ebrd.com/work-with-us/project-finance/project-complaint-mechanism.html