A recent meeting in Tunis has paved the way for the Tunisian government to initiate a competitive process later this month to select nine communes that will benefit from finance to step up actions to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change, as experienced in their communities, with support from the UN Capital Development Fund and funding from the European Union.

The selection process is scheduled to be launched mid-July on the website of the Tunisian Ministry of Interior and the Tunisian Ministry of the Environment, as well as in those of national partners like the “Caisse des Prêts et de Soutien des Collectivités Locales” and the “Fédération Nationale des Communes Tunisiennes”.

"A competitive process is being adopted to guarantee transparency over the choice and to supply interested communes with an open and accessible opportunity to take actions against climate change,"
commented Mohamed Zmerli, Climate Change Specialist at UNCDF during the second Steering Committee meeting held on 25 June 2024.

Tunisian communes seeking to set up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase investments in adaptation using a participatory and gender-sensitive approach will be invited to submit their applications to receive additional climate finance. The approach, known as the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility, or LoCAL, is presently being implemented or designed for implementation in 38 countries around the world and comes with capacity-building and support.

LoCAL-Tunisia provides municipalities and communities with the means to implement concrete climate resilience and sustainable development measures with UNCDF oversight and technical support. The standard approach consolidates performance and strengthens local planning and project ownership on climate action to the benefit of citizens.

The June Steering Committee brought together implementing partners working on adaptation and mitigation on climate change along with UNCDF during the Environment Month in Tunisia. The meeting was marked by enriching discussions and exchanges, testifying to the ongoing commitment of all the programme's national and international partners. Members have also reviewed the adaptation and mitigation plans submitted by the initial six pilot communes, validating their alignment with the minimum conditions and confirming their readiness for the funding phase.

LoCAL-Tunisia is a programme implemented by UNCDF and financed by the European Union as part of the “Programme d'Appui à l'Action Environnemental en Tunisie, PAAET,” which looks to improve the sustainability of the Tunisian economy and initiate its ecological transition.

Find out more about LoCAL here

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