In a statement published on the occasion of World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5, 2025, the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) denounced the failure of national environmental policies, stressing that the programs implemented since the 1990s have led to widespread uncontrolled dumping of waste.
“Tunisia has only 13 controlled landfills, four of which are closed, with a total capacity of 1.8 million tons, compared to 3,200 illegal dumpsites. Annual household waste amounts to 3.3 million tons, of which only 4% is recycled,” the statement reads. “This has resulted in serious environmental degradation, particularly in Greater Tunis (which generates 13% of national waste, or nearly 1 kg per person per day), followed by cities such as Sfax (over 247,000 tons) and Nabeul (257,000 tons).”
In response to this situation, the FTDES calls for a fast-tracked revision of the Environmental Code and a radical overhaul of Tunisia’s waste management systems, asserting that traditional approaches have proven ineffective. The Forum advocates for waste recovery through an economic and development-oriented approach, focusing on recycling projects that extend product lifespans and reduce waste volumes.
Emphasizing that the right to a healthy environment is both a human right and a constitutional obligation, the FTDES insists on the need for environmental policy reforms based on shared responsibility and integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The Forum also calls for stricter enforcement of environmental laws by industrial companies, especially compliance with Law No. 35-2018 on Corporate Social Responsibility.
Describing the broader context, the Forum highlighted how Tunisia’s reliance on extractive industries (phosphates, oil, etc.) has intensified industrial pollution in Gabès, in mining basins, and in the Gulf of Monastir—exacerbated by weak enforcement of existing laws. Only 61.9% of households are connected to a sewage system, leaving 4.5 million Tunisians without adequate wastewater disposal, particularly in rural areas, thereby contributing to pollution.
The FTDES drew a link between environmental degradation and the deterioration of public health, citing World Health Organization (WHO) data attributing 6,000 deaths per year to fine particulate pollution from industry. Pollution also results in nearly 500 million dinars annually in healthcare costs related to associated diseases. Water and soil contamination has reduced agricultural production by 15% over the past decade. The Forum also condemned the mismanagement of medical waste, describing it as “an additional crisis,” with 18,000 tons generated annually (including 8,000 tons of hazardous waste).
« While the hazardous waste disposal plant in Jradou remains closed, the seven companies responsible for medical waste disposal continue to dump 12,000 tons of untreated hazardous waste in illegal sites, without any sorting or neutralization, » the statement adds.
Without systemic reforms, the FTDES concludes, Tunisia’s environmental and health crises will worsen, requiring urgent action to align public policies with the Sustainable Development Goals.
