Alexander Arroyo, the World Bank’s Resident Representative in Tunisia, has affirmed the institution’s support for Tunisia’s initiative to develop a roadmap for a “Blue Economy and a Plastic-Free Coast.”
During a recent meeting between representatives of the Tunisian Ministry of Environment and the World Bank, Arroyo lauded the efforts made by the Ministry over the past two years.
In his statements to the press, Arroyo emphasized Tunisia’s potential to bolster the blue economy through its tourism and fisheries sectors, which currently contribute approximately 14% to the country’s GDP and provide around 100,000 jobs.
Recognizing the significance of these sectors, the Tunisian government has prioritized them as key investment areas, actively seeking to combat the threats of pollution and coastal erosion.
Arroyo noted that the World Bank’s technical and financial support is contingent on the requests and programs initiated by the Tunisian government to promote this sector.
He confirmed that the World Bank played a crucial role in supporting Tunisia‘s efforts to map out the development pathways for the blue economy between 2021 and 2022.
The developed roadmap focuses on three pillars: data gathering, analysis, publication, strategic and institutional reforms, and budgeting; promoting sustainable investments to preserve the environment; and enhancing the resilience of coastal areas to climate change impacts.
He also mentioned the collaboration includes creating and standardizing a comprehensive and accurate database of marine and coastal information and developing a prototype for a geographic portal for the Blue prior to using digital geographic data and technologies to monitor and assess the natural carbon sequestration in marine and coastal ecosystems, known as “blue carbon.”
