On 13 February 2026 in Tunis, the project “Tunisia towards 30×30” was officially launched in the presence of around twenty representatives from national institutions, partner organizations and civil society actors engaged in marine conservation.
This initiative aims to strengthen and expand Tunisia’s network of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPAs), in order to accelerate the country’s contribution to the global goal of protecting 30% of land and 30% of oceans by 2030.
On this occasion, a partnership agreement was signed between the SPA/RAC, IUCN Med and WWF North Africa, marking the operational start of the project and consolidating strategic cooperation in support of Tunisia’s marine biodiversity.
The project will identify and strengthen the protection of areas of high ecological value, while improving the management effectiveness of existing sites, in line with Tunisia’s commitments under the Barcelona Convention and its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
“This project is ambitious, but it does not start from scratch. It builds on long-term efforts grounded in scientific knowledge, field experience and a national and regional partnership that has already proven its value (…) Protecting Tunisia’s biological wealth also means strengthening the livelihoods and resilience of coastal communities.”
— Atef Limam, Marine Protected Areas Project Officer, SPA/RAC
With a duration of three and a half years (2026–2029), the project will support Tunisia in strengthening a coherent network of legally recognized protected areas that are effectively managed and firmly embedded in their socio-economic context.
Tunisia Towards 30×30 project in a Nutshell
Official Press release
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