Tunisia is one of seven countries participating in the first phase Africa Stockpiles Programme(ASP) that is financed by the Global Environment Facility and several additional donors. (ASP) With technical support from FAO, Tunisia has completed a national inventory of obsolete pesticides that has identified 1,300 tonnes of hazardous waste pesticides.

The site surveys completed in Tunisia provide a detailed record of the type, condition and location of all obsolete pesticides. Data collected during the surveys is also used in FAO developed software Obsolete Pesticides Management System (OPMS) to generate a risk assessment of each store. High risk sites can easily be identified and prioritised for action.

In Tunisia OPMS identified a store of particularly high risk where 40 tonnes of DDT that had been provided 50 years previously was stored in the grounds of the Menzel Bourguiba Hospital. Much of the DDT was loose or leaking from its containers, and the hospital management were keen to have it removed as quickly as possible in order to eliminate risk and because the storage site was destined for new construction. FAO worked with the Tunisian authorities to provide equipment, training and expertise finance by the USA to urgently repackage the DDT and store it safely until it could be removed and destroyed. This operation was carried out successfully between 11 and 28 February 2007 with the assistance of an expert from Syria, trained during the FAO project there in 2004-2005.