The training was held for fifteen high school students, on 30th June – 1st July, in the National Center of Technologies in Education (CNTE), which exactly aims to integrate information and communication technology in education.
It aimed to mobilize and train selected high school students – youth NGO members to organize themselves awareness raising activities and capacity building/training sessions for their colleagues within their schools, by using, among others, the Aqua Republica Game, an interactive game on Integrated Water Resources Management developed by UNEP-DHI (Centre for Water and Environment) under the Eco Challenge 2016. The game simulates an online virtual world, a combination of scientific models with game mechanics, to promote knowledge sharing and informed decision-making towards sustainable water resources management at basin level.
The training started with an introductory presentation summarizing the water resources situation and pressures in Tunisia. After the first test game session, the feedback from the young students focused on the fact that water resources management should not only be about economic efficiency, but also about ensuring a healthy and sustainable environment and protecting our natural resources. Thus, economic efficiency considerations should go hand-in-hand with social equity and environmental sustainability considerations, to ensure a sustainable development. During the second day, there was actual competition with participants divided into small groups of 2-3 persons.
All participants received aerators to install on their taps to restrict the flow of water. The training finished with a guided tour at the ecologic center, which is characteristic for its pyramid design for the collection of water.
GWP-Med’s youth initiative in Tunisia is merging financial and knowledge resources of two projects GWP-Med is an active partner of: the project “La Jeunesse Francophone pour l'eau" [Francophone Youth for Water] of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the Office Franco-Québécois pour la Jeunesse (OFQJ) - currently being continued as GWP’s initiative “Youth for Water and Climate” - and the EU FP7 BeWater Project on “Society adapting to Global Change”.