Cooperating countries: Tunisia, Austria

Coordinating institution: University of Vienna

Project coordinator: Wolfgang Wanek

Partner institution: University of Tunis El Manar

Project duration: 01.07.2024 - 30.06.2026

In the dynamic landscape of the Mediterranean agricultural sector, many multifaceted challenges are encountered, encompassing declining competitiveness in global markets, social disparities within farming communities and pressing environmental concerns, with land degradation being of central concern. In response to these complexities, the OCDAT collaborative project led by Tunisian and Austrian experts aims to address a some of these pressing challenges in arid agriculture based on oasis systems. The main project objectives target the following: (i) conducting a regional assessment of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in arid and desert (oasis) agricultural soils in Tunisia to improve our knowledge on soil carbon sequestration and nutrient storage (fertility), (ii) unraveling the intricate relationships between soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics, soil microbial activities, microbial necromass, and the influence of salinity, gypsum and carbonates, particularly in managed desert soils, aiming to advance the mechanistic understanding of SOC formation and stabilization, (iii) identifying cropping systems and optimal management practices for SOC sequestration, improved soil quality, and serving as models for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Mediterranean basin, and (iv) actively engaging with farmers, providing knowledge and tools to facilitate the adoption of adaptive cropping systems, supporting local communities in the Mediterranean basin, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Thereby the OCDAT project shall help to increase oasis soil function in a sustainable way, helping to build soil organic matter, and promote carbon sequestration, soil fertility and crop yield.