Water management, urban development, sustainable development, public policies, local practices, SONEDE, Tunisia, Sfax, governance, IWRM, Integrated Water Resources Management
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Abstract
This article examines the complex interactions between water management, urban development, and local practices in Sfax, Tunisia, highlighting the role of SONEDE in water governance.
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[...] o Sources : To write their article, the two authors based themselves on the lacademic existing literature on their subject and related themes. In fact, the two The authors relied on articles published in specialized journals in urban planning, environmental sciences, political sciences and sociology. Notably those already carried out by Ali Bennasr on the case of Sfax. It is these articles that have provided the theoretical framework. In addition, the authors were able to cite reference works on water management, sustainable urban development, public policies and local practices such as for example The Water Atlas de Hénia et al. (2008). [...]
[...] Presentation of the content of articles : In the article by Ali Bennasr and Éric Verdeil, several axes of reflection emerge. The first concerns the gpublic water management. In this sense, the two authors analyze the policies and practices of the National Society for the Exploitation and Distribution of Water (SONEDE) in Sfax (page 39). Using numerous quantitative data, they examine the challenges related to drinking water supply, network management, and water loss control. This is linked to the dsustainable urban development in Sfax. [...]
[...] Finally, the other strong point lies in its analysis of public policies. In fact, in examining the policies of the National Society for the Exploitation and Distribution of Water (SONEDE) and their interactions with local practices, it is easier to understand the challenges of water governance. Moving on to the weak points. By doing alimited generalization since the'the case study only focuses on Sfax, although in-depth, this may limit the generalization of conclusions to other urban contexts in other countries such as North Africa or the Middle East, for example. [...]
[...] Consider, for example, the work of Sylvie Jaglin (Jaglin S. (coord.) « Services en réseau, services sans réseau dans les villes du Sud, dossier », Flux, n°56-57.) which is particularly relevant as it examines the interactions between networked and non-networked services in cities of the South. We could also cite the literature on sustainable urban development since it highlights the importance of sustainable water management to ensure the long-term viability of cities. In this sense, the work on integrated water resources management (IWRM) clearly emphasizes the need to coordinate policies and practices to ensure sustainable water use. [...]
[...] In fact, the majel system is a local specificity that is rarely found elsewhere in Tunisia (p.48). In terms of the conclusions of the article, it is striking to note that the two authors emphasize the importance of taking into account local practices and traditional knowledge in the sustainable management of water. A local practice that reveals many challenges such as those related to policy coordination and the promotion of integrated water and urban development management. In this sense, the opening up to improving water management in Sfax, combining modern technical approaches and traditional practices, remains a case that can be reproduced in other contexts (such as in Morocco, as mentioned by the authors, p.49) of other societies where the hybridization between traditional and modern techniques can allow for a better consideration of the challenges related to sustainable development. [...]
