Known for some of the Mediterranean’s most spectacular beaches, Tunisia, of late, has seen a significant reduction of sand at several shorelines. Off the coast of the serene beaches of this North African country, stones are now appearing where fine sand once lay. According to researchers, rising seas, overdevelopment on beaches, and construction of dams that store sand instead of letting it flow to coasts are causing Tunisia’s beaches to disappear slowly.
In order to stave off the water scarcity issue the region is facing, the government has begun to build dams to save fresh water, Reuters reported. Yet, in the process of saving one precious resource, another is being lost. Dams are causing rocks to appear off the coast because they trap sand and sediment that would otherwise flow to the sea. This leads to a reduction in the amount of sand on the beach and makes it more vulnerable to erosion. As a result, rocks are exposed on the beach and can damage boats and fishing nets. For the last several days, the stark impact was witnessed when not a single boat was seen on a beach usually packed with fishermen. Alongside a fall in the income of the fishermen, people have been absent from the beaches, too.
At least 85 percent of Tunisia’s population – roughly 12 million people – live by the coast, according to a 2021 World Bank report. A large chunk of them could see their life and livelihood endangered by this development.
Tunisia is not the only region seeing erosion of its beaches. In 2020, scientists for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission revealed some disturbing findings. Their research predicted that around half of the world’s sandy beaches will have significantly retreated by this century’s end. In several developing countries that rely heavily on coastal tourism and are economically vulnerable, the sand deposits could be wiped out by more than 60 percent, and large beaches on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as well as the Australian side of the Indian Ocean, will shrink by 100-200 meters.
If people still want a chance to enjoy playing in the waves and relaxing in a hammock on palm tree-lined shores, they will have to push for swift action to save fast-disappearing shores.
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