Although Tunisia is positioned as a pioneer in renewable energy in North Africa, this green transition poses complex challenges for rural communities, especially women farmers facing migration and economic insecurity. The Tunisian experience reveals that if social impacts are not carefully considered in the implementation of climate adaptation policies, they may inadvertently deepen existing inequalities.
The hidden costs of solar expansion
“Look at these hands,” says Fatima Mansouri, 54, as she unfurls fingers calloused from decades of olive farming. “They know every one of the trees in this grove. Well, at least they did before the panels arrived.” Her testimony is documented in the 2024 field report “Voices from the Ground; Tunisia’s Energy transition“ published by the Coalition for Rural Women’s Rights, which captures the human costs of solar expansion. At the edge of Tunisia’s most recent solar field in Tataouine, she stands and points to where her family’s trees grew for three generations. Today, solar panel fields stretch in rows toward the horizon.
In March 2023, Mansouri and 30other farming families in her community were informed that their agricultural land would be repurposed for a renewable energy project. The compensation on offer — 3,000 dinars (€900) per hectare — was a take-it-or-leave-it offer. “They seduced us, saying we were going to be part of Tunisia’s green future,” she says, with bitter irony in her voice. “But who asked if we’re willing to sacrifice the ‘now’ for that?”
Tunisia’s green ambitions and rural realities
The statistics tell a grim story. Tunisia has set the ambitious goal of providing 30% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030, thus positioning itself as a European green energy hub. The country’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan has attracted significant international investment, particularly in solar and wind power projects. However, these structures are mainly intended for agricultural land located in economically marginalised areas, where both land acquisition costs and local opposition are minimal. The Department of Energy reports that renewable energy projects have created more than 3,000 jobs since 2018.
But a closer look reveals that less than 15% of these jobs are held by local communities and that women represent only 8% of technical jobs. At the same time, about 8,000 agricultural workers (65% of whom are women) have lost their main source of income due to land conversion for energy projects.
“They promised jobs and training,” said Aisha Beji, 48, Mansouri’s neighbor, and fellow farmer. “But out of the 200 positions created at the solar farm, only three went to people from our village — and those were all young men with technical degrees.” Beji, who employed as many as 15 women during harvest seasons, is now out of work. “They need engineers, not farmers. What about the women who’ve fed this region for generations?”
International funding and local impact
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has committed 500 million euros to green energy projects in Tunisia between 2021 and 2025, while the African Development Bank has pledged an additional 300 million euros. Together with private sector investments, these international finance mechanisms account for over 80% of Tunisia’s renewable energy funding.
So, we can affirm that the expansion of renewable energy in Tunisia has been financed mainly by international climate finance mechanisms and private investors. While these investments are aligned with global climate change goals, their implementation often overlooks local socioeconomic dynamics. The World Bank’s 2023 assessment of Tunisia’s energy transition highlights the lack of gender-sensitive planning in renewable projects. Despite mandatory environmental impact assessments, social impact studies (particularly those on gender impacts) remain absent.
“The dominance of international private investors in Tunisia’s renewable energy sector further complicates the situation.” Dr. Nadia Boukris, an energy policy researcher at the University of Tunis, explains, “International funders prioritise quick returns and efficiency indicators. Unlike state-led projects, private investors have limited accountability to local communities, especially when financing through complex international financial mechanisms.”
This accountability gap means that local communities often struggle to influence project implementation and secure promised benefits because investment decisions are made in distant boardrooms rather than through local consultation processes. As a result, there is a disconnect between international climate financing goals and local development needs.
Civil Society Responses and Community Initiatives
To address these challenges, local organizations have begun mobilising. The Dignified Green Transition campaign, launched by a coalition of women’s rights and environmental groups, advocates for community-owned renewable projects and mandatory social impact assessments. They have successfully established small-scale solar power cooperatives in three communities, demonstrating how renewable energy can benefit rural communities.
Leila Hamdi, coordinator of the Rural Women’s Rights Coalition, explains the core challenge: “In traditional farming, women were able to combine income with taking care of their families. The new jobs demand a fulltime presence and technical qualifications that most rural women do not have access to.”
However, some communities are fighting back to develop innovative solutions. In neighboring Medenin, Samia Bouazizi, head of local women’s solar cooperative, is showing a different approach: “We designed our project to incorporate new technologies while preserving our agricultural traditions,” explains Samia Bouazizizi . Their model combines elevated solar panels with underground cultivation, allowing them to maintain traditional farming while generating clean energy.
Policy Gaps and Future Directions:
Tunisia’s 2015 renewable energy law provides a framework for private sector participation but lacks important protections for agricultural communities. The Parliamentary Committee on Energy Transition recently proposed amendments to address these gaps, including mandatory local employment quotas and compensation for displaced farmers.
Advocates argue that these measures do not go far enough to protect vulnerable communities, especially women farmers. Fatima Mansouri says, “We are not against progress, but progress should help everyone, not just some.” While Tunisia’s commitment to renewable energy is commendable and necessary in the face of climate change, its success will ultimately be measured not by the amount of electricity it generates, but rather, by its ability to create an inclusive and equitable energy future for all its citizens.
There are several feasible policies that could enhance Tunisia’s energy transition. These include mandating a minimum percentage of local employment in renewable energy projects, establishing training programs specifically designed for women in rural areas, and requiring hybrid use designs that allow agricultural activities to continue alongside solar installations. Such measures, combined with community consultation and fair compensation framework requirements, would help ensure that the benefits of green energy reach all citizens.
Raoua Labidi is a Master’s candidate in Public Administration at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, focusing on sustainable development and social policy implementation in North Africa.