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Determining the pressures on and risks to the natural and human resources in the Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis, southeastern Tunisia

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Abstract

The Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis has natural assets that have led to the development of various human activities in this oasis. However, this oasis currently suffers from overpressures on natural and human resources. Therefore, the condition of this oasis was assessed based on an investigation of and discussions with 100 farmers as well as study reports. The results showed that the oasis has been transformed into an economic, social, and ecological disaster by the annual loss of 152.56 tons of unrecycled dry oasis waste, the fragmentation of fields (to 0.62 hectares per farmer on average) due to successive inheritance, chaotic urbanization of agricultural areas (> 56.67% of the farmers had constructed new buildings in agricultural areas), the excessive extraction of legmi (leading to the destruction of 3.32 date palms per farmer), plant tissue degradation caused by pollutants and/or toxic gases, soil degradation and salinization, a water crisis, the lack of a trained and qualified workforce (88.33% of the workforce are family members of the farmers), and the lack of interest of the youth in working in the agricultural sector (78.34% of farmers are aged between 45 and 90 years). Despite these problems, however, there is still hope that the oasis can be returned to good health. Despite the damage and the overpressures, this natural heritage could be saved by actions such as imposing a pollution tax, prohibiting illegal urban construction, applying Tunisian laws 2018-191 and 2008-73, persuading young people to work in the agricultural sector, encouraging the workforce to become more qualified to work in this sector, conducting more scientific research of the oasis, and building composting stations.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Irène Carpentier of the LADYSS Laboratory, Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne, which is associated with the IRMC in Tunisia, for her support during this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. High Institute of Agronomy of Chott Mariem, University of Sousse, 4042, Sousse, Tunisia

    Abdelhak Rhouma & Imen Mougou

  2. Sciences Faculty of Gabes, University of Gabes, 6072, Gabes, Tunisia

    Hamza Rhouma

Authors
  1. Abdelhak Rhouma
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  2. Imen Mougou
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  3. Hamza Rhouma
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Correspondence to Abdelhak Rhouma.

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Communicated by Elena Xoplaki, Chief Editor.

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Rhouma, A., Mougou, I. & Rhouma, H. Determining the pressures on and risks to the natural and human resources in the Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis, southeastern Tunisia. Euro-Mediterr J Environ Integr 5, 37 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-020-00176-w

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