Tunisia - Sidi El Barrak Dam Construction Project

The Sidi El barrak Development Project meets a pressing need and falls within broad objectives of the Tunisian Government’s Economic and Social Programme aimed at developing agriculture, tourism and industries which are the bases of the countries economy. It is in keeping with the North Master Plan. The Sidi El Barrak dam project will make it possible to supply 188 million m3/year, 35 million m3/year of which will be used locally for irrigation purposes and recharging Lake Ichkeul and the remainder will be conveyed to the regions of Tunis, Cap Bon and the Sahel. The water made available as a result of the project will enable the irrigation of an additional 4,085 hectares in the project area, contribute to the intensification and extension of agricultural production over 9,500 existing irrigated hectares in the Cap Bon region and make it possible to meet the rising demand for drinking water of an estimated population of 3.48 million inhabitants of the regions of Tunis, Cap Bon, Sousse and Sfax. The project comprises the construction of a reservoir dam with a capacity of 264 million m3 at the mouth of the Zouara Wadi, a pumping station and a discharge outlet followed by a channel to transfer the water from the reservoir to the sedjenane dam. Implementation of this work also requires the rebuilding of existing sections of roads and access roads included in the area to be flooded by the reservoir and the protection of agricultural and settlement areas by building dikes as well as the implementation of a resettlement programme for displaced persons.