The IUCN Local Action Summit took place on 3 September 2021—the opening day of the IUCN World Conservation Congress—in Marseille, France. Leaders convened to showcase and galvanise conservation efforts in cities and regions, make the case for a nature-based recovery to COVID-19, and announce ambitious action pledges for nature. Here follows a translated transcript of the speech delivered by the Mayor of Tunis, Souad Abderrahim.
Good afternoon, Minister, colleagues, friends, ladies, and gentlemen. May I preface my remarks by thanking the IUCN and may I also thank the City of Marseille for your wonderful invitation and welcome. We believe that this Summit is part of a consciousness-raising effort which is vital. We need the solidarity of towns and cities so that we can safeguard the planet – its flora, fauna, and people. Local Authorities have a role to play here. There are the challenges we face, because they know their areas but also because we Mayors have the task of bringing our cities together around a shared programme. The is a discourse that happens with all players in the town. The minister spoke earlier about synergy. I believe that by working together, we can bring about that political vision and that this can be translated into action taken on the ground. We also have populations who have placed their trust in us and therefore it is up to us. We must work internationally, and we must have a clear vision.
We must consider our identity – identity which directly affects life in our cities. We must look at how urban areas can be part of protecting nature. What we must do is mitigate the effects of climate change. That’s what I’m doing so we can connect back to the image of Tunis as the ‘Green City.’ It received that label because of its history: it was a very green city. It has a lot of parks. Therefore, this policy has affected the city. It means that people can live better together. We need to move back to this. However, unfortunately, the degradation of the green areas is faster than our actions.
Today the city is basically suffocating as many cities are around the world. What we need is to keep the green spaces open. We’re looking at the rehabilitation of public parks and the establishment of proper squares. We want to give spaces back to pedestrians so that it becomes an attractive place to live. There is a hill which was an old olive grove, and this was designed at the end of the 19th Century. There is also a park which is in English style also we have certain woods comprising various species including rare and fragile varieties. We have not got a very particular park which we established by working with the voluntary sector, working based on our cultural past. The belvedere and the garden belong to everyone. People can come to relax, meet, and recharge their batteries. Because this is an exceptional park in the heart of a conurbation, it is threatened by urban sprawl, pollution, erosion, and soil fatigue.
Other efforts have been made, bringing in new ideas, but the trouble is that they may well upset the ecosystem balance within the town and upset resilience. There are some serious threats facing these parks. It is also possible that property speculators may want to move into the park. It is important that we protect these parks. We have worked to set up gardens and parks involving the local population. We have created vegetable gardens working with partners. It means that we can use the land by establishing allotments. It is emblematic but we must still do more to make the most of this area which is part of our heritage. Therefore, we must involve people who can provide funding and help us create the second lung of the city, including in the poorer areas.
Looking at another plan and considering climate change, the public health crisis has shown that we must find different ways of moving around. Bicycles would be a good alternative. We would push that. We are also looking to strengthen a transport programme. We are keen to explore any partnership that would help us deliver that.
We need to think about consciousness as well. We need to provide education to change mindsets and attain objectives. We are looking at partnerships. The Swiss organised an exhibition on the dangers of plastic. We sought to educate people on the real environmental risks and dangers of plastic. We mobilised schools, people, civil society and public administration. It is clear. If we want to change things, we need to educate.
I want to talk about another opportunity which is renewable energy. Given that traditional resources are getting scarcer and imposing environmental costs, we are in talks with various funders so that we can use a solar power station. Anything that you can do to help us deliver this would be welcome. We face many challenges now and we face them with great determination. Investment depends very much on a city’s budget. We would like support so that we can do things on a decentralised basis so that we can meet our objectives to manage and protect nature. However, I do not think we can compare these with the costs of doing nothing.