Tamkeen
Strengthening Local Capacities for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in Tunisia
AIFM, with support from the Darwin Initiative (UK Government), is implementing the Tamkeen Project in partnership with the ADES Association (Association for Development and Social Equity).
This project aims to strengthen local capacities in Tunisia by linking sustainable economic development with biodiversity conservation in the Oued Ezzen National Park region.
ACTUALITÉS
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CONTEXT
Located in north-eastern Tunisia, the Oued Ezzen National Park hosts rich Mediterranean biodiversity but faces several challenges: degradation of natural resources, rural poverty, and a lack of sustainable livelihood opportunities for local populations.
ADES, a well-established local NGO, plays a key role in environmental awareness and community mobilisation. However, the organisation’s impact remains limited by the need for institutional and technical strengthening to structure its governance, management, and communication systems.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of Tamkeen is to reinforce ADES’s organisational, technical, and financial capacities, enabling it to become a key driver of sustainable resource management and inclusive local development.
Specific objectives include:
Strengthening ADES’s governance and administrative systems.
Training local trainers (Training of Trainers – ToT) to share knowledge and good practices with local communities.
Supporting communities in developing sustainable income-generating activities (ecotourism, beekeeping, handicrafts, agroecology).
Promoting safeguarding, inclusion, and community participation across all activities.
PARTENARIAT
The Tamkeen project is built on close cooperation between:
AIFM, which provides coordination, technical support, and methodological oversight.
ADES, which implements activities on the ground and mobilises local communities.
The Darwin Initiative (UK International Development), which funds the project as part of its commitment to biodiversity conservation and local empowerment.
This partnership represents a horizontal cooperation model, fostering mutual learning and long-term sustainability between Mediterranean and local actors.
International Association for Mediterranean Forests, France
ADES, Tunisia
Darwin Initiative, United Kingdom
Action plan
The project will run for 18 months, from October 2025 to April 2027, and will follow a structured implementation timeline:
Diagnosis and Planning (Q4 2025) – Organisational self-assessment and capacity development roadmap.
Institutional Strengthening (Q1–Q2 2026) – Training on management, communication, and safeguarding; adoption of new internal policies.
Training of Trainers (Q2–Q3 2026) – Development of three training curricula and delivery of ToT sessions.
Community Actions (Q3–Q4 2026) – Training of around 100 community members and launch of pilot sustainable livelihood initiatives.
Monitoring, Capitalisation, and Dissemination (Q1 2027) – Evaluation of results, documentation of best practices, and sharing of lessons learned.
By supporting ADES’s institutional transformation, the Tamkeen Project seeks to create a replicable model of local sustainable development, where communities become true actors in the protection of their environment.
This initiative fully reflects the mission of AIFM: strengthening local capacities for a more resilient and inclusive Mediterranean region.
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