RSF - Reporters sans frontières

05/22/2026 | News release | Archived content

Under RSF impetus, Tunisia recognises responsible journalism as essential for water justice and energy transition

Participants in Tunisia's second National Water Meeting, held from 24 to 26 April in Chenini, in the southeastern province of Gabès, made a simple yet fundamental observation: the right to water is inextricably linked to the right to information. The meeting's final declaration, published in Tunis on 9 May, explicitly recognises the role of quality journalism as a prerequisite for water justice and a just energy transition. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes this stance and commits to using it as a specific advocacy lever.

The space for rigorous environmental journalism has shrunk in Tunisia as a result of increased pressure on the media, the use of Decree-Law No. 54, which criminalises journalism, and the suspension of independent media outlets. However, the water crisis and the energy transition require careful coverage by trained and equipped journalists who are free to report the facts. The final declaration from the second National Water Conference is an important step forward: for the first time, it states that "the right to information is a fundamental condition for meeting the challenges of water justice and a just energy transition, and only responsible journalism guarantees its reliability."

This conference, initiated by the Nomad 08 association, brought together activists, researchers, union members, farmers and experts for three days at the end of April, including Houssine Rhili, a specialist in development and resource management and one of the organisers. For him, the right to quality and sustainable water "cannot be fully exercised without accurate and up-to-date information that the press makes available to the public to help them become aware of their right to water and build a civic culture around this resource." This link is all the more crucial in North Africa, one of the world's most vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change.

"The final declaration from the Chenini-Gabès National Water Meeting sends a strong signal: to exercise their right to know about vital resources, the Tunisian people need environmental journalism that is protected, well equipped and free to do its job. We are committed to turning this legitimate expectation into a concrete advocacy lever, in Tunisia and beyond. RSF reiterates that environmental journalism is public interest journalism par excellence, and that the freedom to practice it is non-negotiable."

Oussama Bouagila
Director, RSF North Africa

As water and energy issues play an increasingly important role in the daily lives of Tunisia's citizens and local communities, access to reliable and independent information on these issues is becoming essential for making informed choices.

This is one of the battles waged by RSF globally, through advocacy efforts to integrate the protection of journalists into climate policies, specialised training, and emergency assistance on the ground. On Earth Day, RSF published a five-part practical guide to help journalists cover the climate crisis safely.

In June 2025, RSF and UNESCO alreadycalled on governments to recognise information integrity - accurate, reliable and consistent news reporting - as a pillar of the fight against global heating.

Tunisia ranks 137th out of 180 countries and territories in RSF's 2026 World Press Freedom Index.

Published on 22.05.2026
RSF - Reporters sans frontières published this content on May 22, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 04, 2026 at 18:07 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]