Hendra Wijaya
Tunisia is grappling with a severe heatwave that has reached record-breaking temperatures, with Kairouan experiencing a sweltering 49.8 degrees Celsius (121.6 Fahrenheit) on August 27. This intense heatwave, however, is not the sole culprit of the nation's current turmoil, as widespread power cuts and water shortages have exacerbated the situation, straining both health services and daily life.
The Tunisian Observatory for Weather and Climate reported that Kairouan was the second-hottest location worldwide that day, just behind Mehran in Iran. This scorching heat has driven up electricity demand significantly, as households and businesses alike rely on air conditioning to stay cool. Consequently, water demand has also surged, putting additional strain on an already stressed infrastructure.
The Tunisian Company of Electricity and Gas (STEG) has resorted to rotating power cuts across various regions to alleviate the pressure on the electricity system. Officials have cited an unprecedented demand, with electricity consumption potentially reaching 6,000 megawatts in July, a substantial increase from the previous month's 5,600MW. These temporary cuts, while necessary to protect the integrity of the electricity grid, have disrupted daily life, with some residents reporting interruptions lasting several hours.
The interconnectedness of the power and water systems has not escaped the Tunisian authorities. Parts of the water distribution system rely on electrically powered pumping stations, which halt operations during power cuts, thereby disrupting the supply of drinking water. An incident on August 24 exemplified this, when the Kerker pumping station was halted due to an electricity interruption, affecting water supplies in several areas.
Tunisia has been battling water scarcity and recurring droughts for years, and the current situation is not an exception. The World Bank has identified the country as facing escalating water scarcity and climate pressures, supporting projects aimed at improving the reliability and resilience of drinking-water services. The recent power cuts, therefore, have merely exacerbated an existing problem rather than caused a crisis from scratch.
The impact of the heat and energy disruptions is felt across all sectors. Bottled-water supplies have been affected as well, with power rationing disrupting factory operations and the availability of raw plastic materials. For households, losing electricity means losing more than just lights; it means the loss of air conditioning, refrigeration, and access to running water. Businesses also suffer, facing potential losses due to refrigerated stock and disrupted operations.
The health sector is under immense pressure, with emergency departments reporting an "unprecedented" increase in deaths and hospital admissions related to heatstroke and extreme temperatures. The Tunisian Organization of Young Doctors has called for the government to declare a health emergency, highlighting the severe stress on medical staff. There have been reports of 13 deaths within a 24-hour period at Habib Bourguiba Hospital in Sfax, a figure from the doctors' organisation and not an official nationwide death toll.
For patients who rely on electricity-dependent medical equipment at home, power cuts can be particularly devastating. Oxygen concentrators, for example, require a constant power supply to operate, and there have been reports of difficulties for patients whose home medical equipment was affected by the outages.
As Tunisia endures this period of extreme hardship, the urgency of addressing the underlying issues of water scarcity, climate resilience, and energy infrastructure becomes ever more apparent. The nation's struggle for relief from the scorching heat and energy shortages is a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic challenges in the face of climate change.
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