Tunis – On a stretch of the Tunisian coastline in the governorate of Bizerte (northern Tunisia), an ingenious and globally unique agricultural system adapted to a biologically rich wetland environment is facing the risk of extinction.
These ancestral farming practices, developed in sandy soils, have shaped not only the landscape of the coastal town of Ghar El Melh but also its traditions, social rituals and the local population’s relationship with both land and sea.
For this reason, many farmers are currently campaigning to safeguard what they regard as both a national and worldwide heritage.
Although still practised by around 180 farmers, and recognised on June 15, 2020 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS/SIPAM), this form of cultivation is now threatened by unregulated urban expansion, climate change, and delays in clearing a water channel between the lagoon and the sea, upon which the entire natural irrigation system depends.
The lack of generational continuity, caused by younger people turning away from artisanal agriculture, is also endangering this original and environmentally sustainable method of crop production.
“These peri-urban vegetable gardens, known as Ramli, are cultivated in sandy plots irrigated through an osmotic process. Potatoes, onions, lettuce, aubergines, beans and other vegetable crops are grown in sandy soil and naturally irrigated using seawater that infiltrates and rises to the root zone,” explained guide for the NGO Tunisian Campers Mohamed Blanco.
He was speaking to journalists visiting Ghar El Melh as part of a six-month training programme in environmental journalism, organised under PAMT2 (Programme d’Appui aux Médias Tunisiens 2), funded by the European Union in partnership with the “Projet d’Appui à la Gouvernance Environnementale et Climatique pour une Transition Écologique en Tunisie” (PAGECTE), Tunisian Campers, and the Ministry of the Environment.
“The saline water, moistened by the tide, irrigates plant roots after being naturally desalinised through upward salt migration and through the plants’ natural filtration capacity. Rising groundwater levels caused by tidal movement supply fresh water to the crops while limiting reliance on artificial irrigation,” the eco-tour guide added.
Ali Garsi, a farmer practising Ramli cultivation, is actively advocating for the preservation of this sand-farming system, which exists only in Tunisia.
“With no new generation taking over, we must ensure these practices endure, despite mounting threats,” he said, adding: “the main problem today is the obstruction of the water conduit between the lagoon and the sea, which the entire natural irrigation system depends upon. The tidal channel, locally known as boughaz, which ensures water exchange between the lagoon and the sea, now becomes blocked every 48 hours, whereas previously this occurred only every two or three years due to increasing sand deposition.”
He explained that rising sea levels could submerge wetland areas, while climate change may reduce freshwater availability, forcing farmers either to abandon their plots or resort to supplementary irrigation, particularly in dry periods.
Preserving the wetland requires establishing a sustainable water conduit between the Ghar El Melh lagoon and the Sebkha of Sidi Ali El Mekki, rather than between the sebkha and the sea, in order to permanently address sand accumulation and preserve natural water circulation, Garsi pointed out.
Meanwhile, Zohra Ennafef, member of the Executive Bureau of the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP) and President of the Agricultural Women’s Federation, is campaigning to ensure better commercial access for Ghar El Melh agricultural produce and to defend public maritime land.
“Ramli cultivation risks disappearing not only due to climate change but also because of land abandonment, the lack of dedicated marketing channels, and attempts to push farmers to sell their land,” she stated.
Ennafef is advocating for the geographical labelling and recognition of Ghar El Melh’s agricultural products as unique intangible heritage.
“Our products are sold at prices equivalent to conventional produce, although they are natural, ecological and have a distinct taste,” she said.
Labelling Ramli products would ensure better added value, she argued, underlining the need to incorporate the Gataaya (wetland agricultural plots) into eco-cultural tourism circuits. The region already attracts significant numbers of domestic and foreign visitors, and its produce is highly sought after.
For the record, the town of Ghar El Melh, which contains a wetland of approximately 15,000 hectares, obtained the designation “Wetland City – RAMSAR City” in October 2018. It has thus become the first Arab and North African city to be accredited under the Ramsar Wetland City Accreditation scheme.
Preserving its ecological wealth, social and cultural heritage, and biodiversity is therefore not only a national obligation but also a global responsibility.
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