Tunisia’s harsh climate puts lagoons in danger

Successive droughts have put Tunisia’s wetlands in jeopardy as the country’s harsh climate intensifies, according to The National. 

The North African country, already in an economical and agricultural crisis, has seen droughts six years on the spin. 

Climate activists in Tunisia warned that three lagoons in Tunis could fade away following heatwaves and a longer summer in 2023. A record temperature of 49C was reported in July. 

Similarly in neighbouring Morocco, a record 50.4C was reported by the meteorological service in the southern city of Agadir on August 11. 

Tunisia’s famous Ariana lagoon covers over 5000 hectares and is where hundreds of birds migrating from Europe to south of the Sahara Desert use as a refuge to rest and feed. 

READ: Moroccans divided over COP 28 Summit

Imen Labidi, an ecologist in the country, says the Ariana lagoon is interconnected with the Sijoumi and Lac lagoons, also near Tunis. She notes that the pair of lagoons will be severely impacted given what is happening to Ariana. 

She told reporters, “These lagoons are connected one to another and are a key area for migrating birds that go back and forth between them to feed and sleep,”  

The climate change effect is there and we cannot deny it, for sure, but man-made problems such as chaotic urbanisation are faster at leaving a trace,” 

People must know that these areas play a tremendous role in protecting nearby neighbourhoods from floods as it absorbs rainwater in addition to its ability to nourish groundwater tables,” . 

“Unfortunately, Tunisians’ mentality regarding these lagoons, which [they] consider unimportant, has created an extra charge of polluting waste.” 

At the end of 2022, research carried out by the European Investment Bank (EIB) found that 84% of Tunisians were saying that climate change is already affecting their everyday life as well as 52% claiming that the changing climate and environmental damage has affected their income. 

The National/Reuters