The Director General of Forests, Mohamed Noufel Ben Haha, revealed on Sunday, November 8, 2026, that Tunisia has recorded more than 4,500 forest fires over the past fifteen years, destroying nearly 74,000 hectares of forest cover in various regions across the country.
In an interview granted to Tunisie Numérique, on the margins of his visit to Zaghouan Governorate for the celebration of the National Tree Day, Ben Haha indicated that Tunisia’s forests face numerous challenges, notably climate change and pests that threaten the vegetation cover. He also stressed that human activities are among the main causes of the ignition of fires.
He added that the damage caused by these fires is not limited to the forest areas destroyed, but also entails substantial financial losses, estimated at several hundred million dinars. These damages have repercussions on the state budget, which remains the main investor in the forest sector.
The Director General of Forests finally emphasized that the protection and preservation of forest heritage constitute major challenges, in a context marked by the multiplication of risks weighing on the country’s vegetation cover and biodiversity.
