Established in 1976 as a public research institution affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the “Institut des Regions Arides of Médenine” (IRA) has been involved in: Monitoring and combating desertification, water and soil resources conservation, Sustainable management of biodiversity and resilience capacity in the pastoral ecosystems, Croplands Improvement and valorization of geothermal resources in agriculture, Assessment of development experiences, Decision-making tools for development and Integration of the group actors strategies.
Since it creation, the Institute carried out and/or contributed to the realisation of research and development projects in the dry regions of the country, the training and capacity building of specialists in dry land farming and conservation of natural resources in collaboration with national and international universities, organisations and agencies.

IRA contribute in collaboration with others partners to:

• Examinate the soil and water management processes to combat desertification and land degradation,
• Define indicators for qualitative and quantitative assessment,
• Assess the impact of water harvesting structures using a participatory approach,
• Disseminate the results for stakeholders.