In this three-part series, BCtA speaks to the entrepreneurs providing innovative development solutions to Medenine’s water problems as part of UNDP-BCtA’s inclusive innovation programme. The Inclusive Innovation Journey seeks to advance business solutions for development challenges and connect them to local government bodies that need innovative, tech-driven solutions to reach underserved populations. From a dozen proposals, the solutions presented here employ unique and specialized approaches that hail from diverse industries.

Engineer Nasreddine Somaali’s solution to tackle water shortages in the Medenine region is a water-optimization solution using sensors buried in the ground.

Somaali serves as the chief executive officer of a start-up that specializes in new and smart technologies, especially in the field of agri-food. Like fellow IIJ cohort participant Ben Babis, Somaali too has been affected by the water shortage problem personally. He tells the story of a relative who needed to travel several kilometres from his farmland to be able to irrigate. From his family member’s experience, he discovered that there was a great need beyond simply managing available water resources for farmers. The issue goes deep into also managing water being used during the irrigation process itself.

An IoT-based irrigation solution

With the means and knowledge to propose improvement in the way farmlands are irrigated, Somaali and his company came up with Telma, an internet of things (IoT)-based irrigation solution intended for smallholder farmers who own parcels of land that measure less than five hectares. Somaali’s company has collaborated with two national agricultural laboratories, INRAT and INGREF, alongside two German partner companies who are also specializing in modern technologies.

Telma employs a three-part methodology that seeks to analyze cultivation activities that will determine suitable irrigation for the farmland. The first part consists of collecting data from the ground by soil-implanted sensors. The data is then transmitted to a cloud component where the second phase of the methodology occurs—backing up and analyzing. On the cloud, software identifies an optimal irrigation plan for the type of crop. Once results are complete, the process then proceeds to the third part, which consists of a management system installed in the field executing the irrigation plan tailored for that specific farm.

The Tunisian engineer believes that since Telma has a highly flexible modular model, it can be installed exactly the way the clients would need it. However, it is not without challenges. Despite negotiations underway to manage the irrigation of green zones such as the one in the Municipality of Raoud, Somaali still thinks that the biggest hurdle is the confidence and trust of future clients are hesitant in integrating new technologies in traditional farming processes. His company plans to address the challenge by providing clients with a thorough after-sales service and continuous improvement of their current solution as it evolves.

Data to help inform food security strategies in arid regions

For Somaali, this solution offers the possibility of utilizing data that can later be used as a resource for the cultivation, irrigation and fertilization of crops that can lead to the crafting of strategies to sustain food security in arid regions.

For Somaali, since his technology determines the exact amount of water that plants need, its main impact manifests by way of significantly reducing water wastage in Medenine, enabling continuous production of crops, and in effect, ensuring food security in the region. Apart from securing their profitability and livelihood for smallholder farmers, this artificial intelligence technology also transforms their traditional irrigation and cultivation practices into a much more efficient process. His team, composed of young and motivated employees offering unique specializations benefits from the experience and exposure in the Tunisian market that they gain from the project.  

This solution has great potential to be applied across other African regions, says Somaali. The Inclusive Innovation Journey program has facilitated and encouraged partnerships between the government and other public and private institutions, he says which can pave the way to find options in addressing the water crisis in Medenine, and for his solution to be implemented and its impact incarnated.  

In terms of replicability, Somaali thinks that other municipalities suffering from a water deficit may be able to optimize the water management systems for their respective green zones, and in effect, significantly cut-down water resource wastage.

Click on the links below to read solutions from other entrepreneurs participating in the programme:

The biochemical approach: Soil and water analysis for better farming practices

The networking approach: Digitally connecting farmers to experts and peers in the region