Tunisia is located within northern Africa along the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, between the eastern and western Mediterranean basins. It shares land borders with Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. The country has a total area of 164,000 square kilometers (km2) and over 1,300 km of coastline along its eastern and northern borders. The country is divided in two large geographical areas, separated by successive low points occupied by the Chotts El Gharsa, Djerid and Fedjej, aligned from west to east. The northern area is diagonally crossed by the Tunisian Ridge, a mountain chain comprising the Tell Atlas and the Saharan Atlas Mountains. Northwest regions in the country are marked by high plains and a rugged landscape. The southeastern regions are dominated by a low and hilly landscape, which extends to the coast. The center-west regions, which extend south of the Tunisian Ridge are dominated by highlands bordering low and scattered mountain peaks and are occupied by steppes. Southern areas consist of the Saharan desert whose eastern border is represented by the Matmata and Dahar chains. Tunisia is a lower-middle income country and while the country has achieved important progress on its political transition towards democratic systems and more open governance structures, economic progress has not kept pace. The country remains constrained by political fragmentation and the lack of consensus on key economic reforms. Additionally, recent ongoing conflict in neighboring Libya has further hindered economic recovery and added to social disaffection and unemployment, especially among youth. Tunisia is one of the few countries in the world where a higher level of education decreases employability, in particular for women. Tunisia has a population of 11.7 million people (2019) with an annual population growth rate of 1.1% (2018), and is projected to reach 12.7 million people by 2030 and 13.8 million people by 2050. An estimated 69% of the current population resides in urban areas, which is expected to reach 80% in 2050. The country has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $38.7 billion (2019), and has experienced relatively volatile growth rates over the past decade, with a current annual growth rate of 1.0% in 2019.

Tunisia is considered highly vulnerable to climate change and is expected to experience adverse impacts from increased temperatures, increased aridity, reduced precipitation, and rising sea levels. Socio-economic and environmental implications will particularly affect water resources, the agricultural and livestock, ecosystems, coastal zones, health, and tourism sectors. Tunisia submitted its Nationally-Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC in 2016 and its Third National Communication (NC3) in 2019, in support of the country’s efforts to achieve its economic development goals, strengthen its approach to environmental sustainability and increase its adaptive capacity to climate change. The country is particularly vulnerable in regards to water security, agriculture and livestock health, as well as to adverse conditions for health, human settlements, and the country’s energy sector. Tunisia’s NDC is consistent with the country’s overall goals of increasing its development, reducing its vulnerability and achieving long-term sustainable, economic development. Key focus is on the sustainability of the environment, water resources, energy, agriculture sectors and costal zones.