Libya: Tobruk Parliament Overcomes Disagreements During Tangier Meeting

The consultative meeting of Libya’s House of Representatives, known as the Tobruk Parliament, has led the legislative body to overcome its internal disagreements. The meeting took place in Tangier, northern Morocco, from November 23-28. During the session’s closing ceremony, members of the Libyan House of Representatives made seven pledges that seek to bring the war-torn country closer to overcoming its political crisis. The deputies first agreed that the House of Representatives should be located in Benghazi, Libya’s second-most populous city. The legislative institution has been headquartered in Tobruk, northeastern Libya,…

Africa’s renewable energy capacity is set for consecutive years of growth, exceeding 50 GW in 2025

Africa’s installed capacity of renewable energy, which stood at 12.6 gigawatts (GW) in 2019, is set for consecutive years of growth, a Rystad Energy analysis shows. The continent’s capacity is forecast to reach 16.8 GW in 2020, add another 5.5 GW in 2021, and a further climb to 51.2 GW in 2025, led by growth in solar and wind projects in Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Ethiopia. At present, South Africa leads the continent in terms of installed renewable energy capacity with 3.5 GW of wind, 2.4 GW of utility…

Small-scale agriculture must first of all be a national priority (FTDES)

 “Small-scale agriculture must first of all be a national priority and its development should be the responsibility and duty of the State”. This development “can only take place within the framework of an overall strategy for the country and the involvement of all stakeholders”, reveals a study by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) on small farms in Tunisia. This report – integrated in the project “Reducing inequalities in the olive oil value chain” implemented by the NGO Oxfam in partnership with AFTD (Tunisian Association of Democratic…

Chinese grown Tunisian soft-seed pomegranates flood the market

Tunisian soft-seed pomegranates can be consumed directly without spitting out the seeds. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 months and in cold storage for up to 5 months. It is a variety that currently has the softest seeds in the world and is also the best variety grown in China. The pomegranates grown in Sichuan are famous for their fast growth, early fruit-bearing, high yield, and early ripening. Sichuan, as a region with ample sunshine, a large difference in temperatures between day and night, and…

Monastir to fine anyone catching sea turtles

Monastir is Tunisia’s first municipality to set a 1,000-dinar fine in an attempt to protect sea turtles, which are an endangered species in the Mediterranean. ”Anyone who captures, sells, or transports a sea turtle in the territory of the City of Monastir will be punished with a fine of 1,000 dinars,” the regulation states. The news was reported in a statement by the environmental association Notre Grand Bleu, which welcomed the decision and noted that that this was the first decision by a local Tunisian authority to protect biodiversity. Despite…

Tunisia’s lagoon farms and hanging gardens recognized as world heritage sites

Tunisia’s traditional Ramli agricultural systems in the lagoons of Ghar El Melh (above) and its hanging gardens from Djebba El Olia, have been recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), a designation managed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It is the second time Tunisian sites have won the GIAHS recognition, after Gafsa Oases in 2011. Both sites reflect profound bonds between the cultivated crops and the natural ecosystem, local fauna and flora, while promoting the preservation of traditional knowledge and biodiversity conservation. Their recognition as GIAHS sites will encourage…

How Europe’s post-COVID-19 economy and environment can both prosper

Amid the upheaval, there might be a silver lining – an opportunity for Europe to come closer to achieving global sustainability goals.Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, good news has been in short supply. The enormous social and economic consequences of the pandemic are becoming clearer by the day, and we’ll be feeling the effects on our lives and livelihoods for decades to come. Yet amid the immense human and economic toll, something else is also becoming clearer: our skies. Life without car or air travel has allowed nature…

EU-Maghreb Relations: Economy Should Take Centre Stage in Post-Pandemic Era

One of the unavoidable consequences of the current pandemic will be the repatriation of part of the value chains of international European and North American companies home or closer to home. How important this turns out to be and what sectors it will impact most is yet not clear, but public opinion will no longer allow certain key necessities to be sourced essentially in China. As European leaders consider which products need to be manufactured closer to home, they could do worse than spare a thought for Algeria, Morocco and…

Repercussions of COVID-19 on the global system

The new Coronavirus appeared in China, specifically in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, in late December 2019 and up to April 2, 2020. The infection transmitted to about one million people and resulted in more than 50 thousand deaths, with half of the world’s population isolated in their homes with the rise in various proportions (catching the virus, death and recovery) is still jumping. Epidemics have had a role in the rise of deaths and the fall of empires throughout history: Human history witnessed many epidemics that invaded societies,…

Air quality improving in quarantined countries

Air quality is improving in countries under coronavirus quarantines, experts say, but it is far too early to speak of long-term change. Images by the U.S. space agency NASA are clear, in February the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) fell dramatically in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, passing from an indicator that was red/orange to blue. NO2 is mainly produced by vehicles, industrial sites and thermal power stations. As China moves past the peak of its crisis, however, recent images by the European Space Agency (ESA) show…