Why is Tunisia struggling to stop its beaches vanishing?
What’s the context?
Rising seas, droughts fuelled by climate change, dam building and overdevelopment are causing a coastal crisis in Tunisia
- In the Maghreb, Tunisia acutely hit by coastal erosion
- Rising seas, dams and development cited as main drivers
- Researchers say nature-based solutions are essential
The Tunisian coastal town of Ghannouch is home to about 600 fishermen, but early one Wednesday morning last month there was hardly a rod or boat in sight.
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Ali said he made about $300 per month fishing, but his income was 20% lower than in previous years before coastal erosion became a major factor.
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A combination of rising seas, overdevelopment on beaches and the destruction of natural defences like dunes, as well as the building of dams that store sand instead of letting it flow to the coast, are causing Tunisia's beaches to gradually disappear, researchers warn.
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Researchers at the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology (INSTM) said the government had responded to growing water security concerns by building more dams to save fresh water - but that has stopped sand from moving from inland to the coast, exacerbating coastal erosion.
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