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The Institute of Arid Regions in Medenine (IRA) is a Tunisian research establishment set up under the Law of 6 January 1976 . Its headquarters are located in the city of Medenine (south-east of the country) but it is attached to the University of Gabes .

Its main missions are:
Carrying out research necessary for the development of the agricultural sector ;
Training and refresher courses for technicians and researchers specialized in aridology and combating desertification ;
Participation in extension and technical supervision of the agricultural sector for the conservation of natural resources and their protection against the risk of desertification;
Carrying out studies of integrated development projects at the national, subregional, regional and international levels;
Animation and coordination of the activities and work of various bodies involved in arid regions.

IRA has five laboratories. The research program of the agricultural economics and rural societies laboratory is devoted mainly to the management and access modes to the natural resources under crisis conditions: climate change and external shocks, contribute to the evaluation of the development experiences of the arid regions and provide decision-making tools for development actions based on the integration of the strategies of the various group actors and their regulation capacities.

Our laboratory is seeking collaboration with research institutions, universities, and organizations to further our mission to address water shortage under climate change in arid zones and the challenges posed by extreme drought in arid and semi-arid environments. By combining expertise in agriculture, water management, and climate resilience, we aim with this collaboration to develop sustainable solutions that enhance the resilience of irrigated perimeters and dry farming practices in arid and semi-arid zones. We are particularly interested in collaborating on projects related to water harvesting, the efficient use of water in agriculture, sustainable land use, irrigation, and climate change resilience. We believe that through collaboration, we aspire to change and learn about new transformative adaptation strategies and create a comprehensive and scalable approach that mitigates the impact of climate change and ensures the long-term viability of Mediterranean irrigated and dry farming systems.

Adaptation strategies, Mediterranean dry Farming, Water Harvesting Techniques, Arid and Semi-Arid Environments, climate change, water policy, resilience, vulnerability, sustainability, agricultural irrigation