Arab Reform Initiative مبادرة الإصلاح العربي - 131d ago

In this video, Tunisian researcher and natural resources engineer Yasser Souilmi shares key findings from his research on water justice in Tunisia, highlighting the structural inequalities that shape access to drinking water across urban and rural communities. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Tunis and Kairouan, Yasser unpacks what he describes as a “water justice gap”, where rural communities often face more complex and fragile water supply systems compared to cities. While urban households receive water through the centralized public utility, rural areas rely on water user associations and local water groups. Managed largely by volunteers, these systems frequently struggle with debt and operational challenges, including unpaid electricity bills which powers water pumping and distribution. Through in-depth interviews, consultations, and small group discussions with civil society actors, Yasser’s research explores how communities understand and experience water justice a concept still emerging in Tunisia and the wider Arab region. By creating spaces for people to speak openly about issues they cannot easily raise in public, the research connects lived realities to broader questions of governance, equity, and resource management. This conversation is part of our broader campaign, Community Voices, Policy Choices: Food, Water, and Power in Tunisia, grounded in research and consultation meetings held in Tunis and Kairouan with farmers, practitioners, researchers, and local actors. Follow along this week as we continue sharing insights from Yasser, alongside contributions from other researchers and community members, and help amplify locally grounded knowledge shaping conversations on water, food, and climate justice in Tunisia. Find Yasser’s research: https://www.arab-reform.net/publication/thirst-for-water-justice-in-tunisia/