Environmental cleanup project to launch in Bizerte

A second phase of the Tunisian environmental cleanup project known as Belvedere Day will take place today in Bizerte.

Project organizers seek to clean up and revamp nature trails throughout Tunisia, following similar cleanups in Tunis and Gammarth. Launched by Tunisian recreational and environmental organizations in partnership with the EU Delegation to Tunisia, the initiative forms part of a larger campaign to raise awareness and inform Tunisians of the need to preserve the environment and combat climate change.

Tunisia is particularly vulnerable to climate change-induced rising sea levels: its coastal regions house over two-thirds of its population and harbor 80% of its economic activity. Further, the effects of climate change threaten to exacerbate recurrent political instability which began during the Arab Spring.

Belvedere Day represents a local example of how the EU and North African nations can partner to address the effects of climate change at multiple levels. Through joint programs, the two can raise awareness about climate change’s threat and harness community power to advance environmental preservation. While doing so helps nations like Tunisia move closer to achieving commitments under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, it also seeks to fortify against societal tension caused by climate change.

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