مشروع قانون يتعلق بالرعي وبالنظم الرعوية في تونس

Abstract

ICARDA team through the GIZ small grant project (Partnerships to improve pastoral policies in Tunisia) and in collaboration with many stakeholders including the Forestry Department (DGF) have facilitated the revision/update of the forestry code in Tunisia. The regulations governing collective rangelands do not reflect the reality on the ground and does not warrant their sustainability. The purpose of developing an effective pastoral code is to establish the basis for sustainable rangeland management. Currently, many institutions are dealing with rangelands without efficient mechanisms of collaboration and integration. Therefore, to ensure sustainable governance of rangelands, the design and development of a framework legally establishing pastoralism became a priority to all stakeholders. The priority areas of the new pastoral code are: Institutional governance: a central coordinating body to oversee rangeland governance; improved coordination between government agencies; decentralization and delegation to municipal authorities and pastoralist associations at the local level. Sustainable rangeland management and land tenure reform: participatory approaches that involve pastoralists and rural communities in management decisions; designated resting areas to rehabilitate degraded areas; a ban on the privatization of rangelands. Tackling the effects of climate change: contributing to carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation; strengthening resilience against a backdrop of rising temperatures and water scarcity; preventing and reversing desertification. Managing herd mobility: monitoring and regulating herd movements; monitoring animal health; controlling disease outbreaks. Payments for environmental services: formal agreements between rangeland owners/users and government authorities; incentives to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices; payments dependent on the avoidance of unsustainable practices. The pastoral code will be introduced to the Tunisian parliament where it is expected to be passed by legislators into law. The initiation, development, and drafting of the code has included Tunisian decision-makers at every stage. It has been reviewed and approved by decision-makers at the national and regional authorities, civil society organizations, pastoralists, and representatives of the country’s national assembly.