We are the German-Tunisian Environmental Programme – agir … pour l’avenir (act … for the future)

We successfully contribute to implementing the national environmental strategy, which promotes Tunisia’s sustainable development and benefits the Tunisian people.
We build capacity and strengthen synergies between different actors to improve the state of the natural environment.
Our actions, which occur at the national, regional and local levels in close partnerships with Tunisian stakeholders aim at sustainable and verifiable impacts.

We advise the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) on strategic questions in order to build the basis for sustainable development.
We support the development of national, regional and local capacities relating to environmental planning and management.
We promote the involvement of civil society in our activities.
We see to environmental issues being integrated into different sectors’ policies and strategies.

The German-Tunisian Environmental Programme (ppe) aims to promote institutions, further develop the environmental strategy, and support sustainable development.

In their synergetic effect, six components contribute to meeting the programme’s aim:

1. Pollution Prevention
2. Decentralisation of Environmental Tasks
3. Private Sector Participation
4. Integrated Sustainable Waste Management
5. Technology Cooperation
6. Environmental Communication

The environmental programme’s six components combine both horizontal and sectoral advisory elements. The programme advises at the national, regional and local levels. It supplies technical, methodological and material support to the Ministry in its advisory and coordinating tasks (strategic planning, environmental communication). Advice on technical and sectoral matters (waste management) furthers the implementation of environmental policy, and new instruments are developed (private sector participation, cooperation on technology). Administrative reform in the environmental sector and the participation of municipalities in environmental management are also improved (decentralisation of environmental tasks). The GTZ cooperates closely with the KfW development bank in these tasks, and coordinates its tasks with other bilateral and multilateral donors.

The GTZ’s contribution is showing results:

•	For the first time in Tunisia, regional development plans are being drafted as part of a participatory and cross-sectoral planning process that considers the environmental dimension.
•	Indicators for sustainability are being devised for the private sector’s major branches.
•	Environmental legislation is being adapted to meet current requirements.
•	The private sector is getting involved in waste management.
•	First steps have been taken in North-South cooperation on environmental technology.