On 8 May 2026, the EMPOWERMed team presented the project during an official visit to the Regional Research Centre on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture (CRRHAB) in Tunisia.
The visiting delegation included Mr Ezzeddine Ben Cheikh, Tunisia’s Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, and Ms Zohra Lili Chabaane, President of the Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (IRESA).
đź’§ Presenting the EMPOWERMed approach
The presentation introduced EMPOWERMed’s vision, objectives and ongoing activities addressing water scarcity and climate resilience in agriculture. The team highlighted how the project combines scientific research, field demonstration, digital innovation and stakeholder participation to support more sustainable water-resource management.
Particular attention was given to the project’s work in Tunisia, including smart-agriculture approaches, climate-change adaptation and the development of locally relevant tools and evidence for agricultural water management.
🌍 Connecting research and public priorities
The visit offered an opportunity to discuss how EMPOWERMed’s activities can contribute to national and regional efforts addressing increasing pressure on water resources. It also enabled the Tunisia team to present progress directly to senior representatives of the country’s agricultural research and water-management institutions.
The interest expressed during the visit underlined the importance of connecting applied research with institutional priorities and of maintaining dialogue between researchers, public authorities and agricultural stakeholders.
🤝 About EMPOWERMed
EMPOWERMed is a PRIMA-funded research project developing integrated water-accounting and decision-support approaches for Mediterranean regions. The project combines hydrological modelling, socio-economic analysis, agricultural demonstrations, digital technologies and participatory Living Labs.
🔠What’s next?
The Tunisia team will continue implementing demonstration, modelling and stakeholder-engagement activities while sharing progress with public institutions and potential users. Sustained institutional dialogue will help ensure that project outputs address operational needs and can inform future water-management decisions.
Source and further reading: original EMPOWERMed Tunisia update on LinkedIn.