A comprehensive water balance of Tunisia: blue water, green water and virtual water

摘要

This paper envisions a comprehensive balance for water management that takes into account all kinds of water resources: withdrawal (blue) water, (green) water in rainfed agriculture and the net contribution of "virtual water" to the food import-export balance. In countries where water resources are limited, this leads to a better understanding of the relation between water and food production and gives a clearer picture of the potential for agricultural production. In the case of Tunisia, it indicates that food security will depend on the ability of the country to manage all the available water resources, in particular by improving the potential of rainfed agriculture.