Determining the pressures on and risks to the natural and human resources in the Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis, southeast
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(2020) 5:37
ORIGINAL PAPER
Determining the pressures on and risks to the natural and human resources in the Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis, southeastern Tunisia Abdelhak Rhouma1 · Imen Mougou1 · Hamza Rhouma2 Received: 27 March 2019 / Accepted: 19 June 2020 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
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. Keywords Gabes · Oasis · Pressures · Risks
Introduction The Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis in southeastern Tunisia is bordered by the Chenini Nahel oasis to the west, Bab Bhar to the southeast, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, and Ghannouch (a phosphate treatment complex) to the north. This oasis, with an area of approximately 100 ha, extends along the Gulf coast of Gabes, supplying the oasis with a maritime climate. Thus, the Chott Sidi Abdel Salam oasis is a Mediterranean coastal oasis that is surrounded by fine-sand beaches, and is considered a calm, pleasant place located in Communicated by Elena Xoplaki, Chief Editor. * Abdelhak Rhouma [email protected] 1
High Institute of Agronomy of Chott Mariem, University of Sousse, 4042 Sousse, Tunisia
Sciences Faculty of Gabes, University of Gabes, 6072 Gabes, Tunisia
2
a rather more inhospitable region. This image ignores the classical market value of an oasis as an area in which food is produced, instead emphasizing its value as a source of calm and pleasure
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