NAZIHA BOUSSIDI

Tunisia- The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) has released a report on the environmental situation and rights in Tunisia. The report calls on authorities to take necessary actions in order to protect the environment.

“Necessary actions should be taken”

NuJINHA spoke to Rihab Mabrouki, a member of the Environmental Justice Department of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, about the annual report of the forum. Stating that the report focuses on environmental issues and pollution caused by industrial waste, she said, “The report aims to uncover the gap between legislation and reality, particularly the activation of environmental protection laws. The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights always works to put pressure on the government in order to protect the environment, to expose environmental violations, and to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the environment among Tunisians to perform their duty towards the environment, just as they demand their rights. The report calls on the government to change its wrong environmental policies and on the authorities to take necessary measures to end widespread pollution in the country.” Rihab Mabrouki also said that 300,000 people suffer from water scarcity in Tunisia.  

“Environmental pollution is increasing”

Pointing out that environmental pollution is increasing in Tunisia every day, Rihab Mabrouki said, “The increasing environmental pollution can lead to disasters. The main reason for pollution is the lack of the waste management strategy. The report reveals that the continuous cut off drinking water causes citizens to face many difficulties. The report highlights that the environmental issues should be solved from a sociological perspective because every violation of environmental rights is a violation of human rights.”