A leading capital goods company has presented details of its involvement in a water management project in one of the most arid regions of Tunisia.

London-headquartered CNH Industrial unveiled details at a recent forum hosted by European Development Days, a gathering on sustainable growth and development issues hosted by the European Commission in Brussels.

The three-year program that began in 2016 will see CNH's agriculture machinery arm, New Holland, provide $50,000 a year to promote water management in the Kebili region of Tunisia. This is on top of $200,000 contributed by the Tunisian government and smaller sums donated by other patrons

It is part of a cooperation agreement signed with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

"We wanted to design and put in practice a project with a high level of sustainability and a synergy with one of our core businesses,” CNH's Sustainable Development Initiatives Manager for EMEA Daniela Ropolo told Maghreb News Wire.

The project’s objectives include building and repairing traditional water collection systems, creating vegetable gardens for families, improving pastoral activity, and developing orchards and new wooded areas, CNH said in a press release.

"The overall aim is to ensure the fully sustainable management of water, a resource that is especially valuable in an area at risk of desertification," the release said.

CNH Industrial and New Holland Agriculture are contributing $50,000 of funding per year for the duration of the project, which runs through 2018. Those behind the project believe the key to the initiative is the active involvement of the local population. Overall, it is intended to benefit not only infrastructure but also education, social and community services, according to CNH.

The project’s latest developments were presented at the European Development Days by Ropolo; Hassen Chourabi, general director of the Ministry of Agriculture of Tunisia; and Lars Skjoldager Sørensen, New Holland Agriculture’s head of Harvesting Product Line.

CNH is a global leader in the sale of capital goods, including agricultural and construction equipment, with annual revenues of $25 billion.