Behavioral Governance Tools for Multifunctional Forest Landscapes in Tunisia: Evidence from the Sajnen Forest

Gandouzi, Ghassen; Fouzai, Ayoub; Frija, Aymen

Behavioral Governance Tools for Multifunctional Forest Landscapes in Tunisia: Evidence from the Sajnen Forest

Views

0% 0

Downloads

0 0%

Open access

View/Open

Date

2025-12-31

Date Issued

2025-12-31

Contributes to SDGs

Authors

Citation

Ghassen Gandouzi, Ayoub Fouzai, Aymen Frija. (31/12/2025). Behavioral Governance Tools for Multifunctional Forest Landscapes in Tunisia: Evidence from the Sajnen Forest. Beirut, Lebanon: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).

Abstract

The Sajnen case study offers evidence of acceptance and intention that behavioral nudges, when carefully designed and ethically implemented, can enhance forest governance in Tunisia's multifunctional landscapes. Our research brief demonstrates that simplification and salience nudges are particularly effective, that transparency is non-negotiable for legitimacy, and that different user groups require tailored approaches. Perhaps most significantly, we found that nudge acceptance strongly predicts pro-environmental behavior intentions but that this relationship is mediated by institutional trust and constrained by structural barriers. Looking forward, Tunisia stands at a critical juncture in forest governance. The traditional command-and-control model has shown its limitations, while the multifunctional demands on forest landscapes continue to intensify. Our findings suggest a way forward: an integrated approach that combines behavioral insights with institutional reform and structural change by integrated approach that combines behavioral insights with institutional reforms such as decentralizing decision-making to local GDAs and enhancing participatory monitoring and structural changes, including clarifying property rights and improving livelihood alternatives. These reforms are aligned with the objectives of Tunisia’s new Forest Code, which emphasizes participatory governance and sustainable landscape management. This approach recognizes that forests are not just ecological systems but social-ecological landscapes where human behavior, institutional arrangements, and biophysical processes interact continuously. The opportunity exists for Tunisia to pioneer behaviorally informed, multifunctional forest governance in the Arab region and beyond. This requires moving beyond siloed approaches toward adaptive, participatory systems that respect local knowledge, build institutional trust, and address fundamental inequalities. It requires acknowledging that sustainable forest management is as much about governing people as it is about managing trees. By blending insights from psychology, institutional economics, and landscape ecology, Tunisia can develop governance models that are both effective and equitable models that sustain forests while supporting the communities that depend on them. The path forward is clear: behavioral tools can help bridge the governance behavior gap, but only when implemented within transparent, participatory, and structurally sound governance frameworks. The forests of Sajnen and the communities that steward them offer both a compelling case study and a hopeful vision for what this integrated approach can achieve.