On the 7^th and 8^th March, MedCities and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) visited Tunis in the first technical mission targeting the waste management component of A’SIMA Tunis project.

The mission had several objectives:

– to share the experience of the AMB on effective waste management, especially waste treatment and valorisation

– to participate in the discussions and debates among the municipalities of Grand Tunis with regards to the initial findings of the diagnosis on waste management held by A’SIMA Tunis project

– to discuss in bilateral meeting with the Municipality of Tunis on the initial ideas for the upcoming pilot projects based on the result of the diagnosis.

On the 7^th March a conference was held in the Municipality, in presence of the Mayor of Tunis, Mrs Souad Ben Abderrahim, with the participation of Mr. Joan Carles Fernandez, expert of the AMB on waste management. He explained the strategy of waste management in the metropolis of Barcelona, by presenting the different selective collection modes implemented, the infrastructures for waste valorisation that are in place and the challenges relative to increasing the recuperation level.

On the 8^th March, M. Mohamed Bouaoun, external expert on waste management, presented the results of the diagnostic study elaborated by the project and engaged the participants, representatives of municipalities and national stakeholders, in a discussion about the main priorities and challenges faced by the municipalities of Grand Tunis. Three interesting waste valorisation projects were also presented: one on demolition and construction waste, the other on plastic valorisation and the last on green waste (mainly from parks and gardens). The debate was very rich and showed once again that this issue is of strategic priority to local and national authorities.

Last, two technical meetings were held with the General Director of Environment of the Municipality of Tunis and a technical visit was done to the organic compost plant of Tunis, currently not in use, in order to examine the potential of reopening it. During the exchanges, two initial ideas were retained for the future pilot projects and they will be both analysed and submitted for approval in the coming months. A’SIMA Tunis will then fund one of the pilot projects, aiming to improve waste valorisation and intermunicipal cooperation for waste management.