Designated a Wetland of International Importance, Ghar el Melh was the first North African and Middle Eastern city to receive Ramsar’s Wetland City Accreditation Award, in recognition of its formal engagement in efforts towards wetland protection and sustainability. Ghar el Melh actively promotes the ecological importance of its wetlands, and it also recognises their sociocultural value and their place in the region’s rich historical heritage.

While the city is much smaller today than it has been at times in the past, many of the remaining residents depend on the lagoon for their livelihoods. Artisanal fishers ply its calm waters, primarily targeting mullet and eels; while the wider region has become a popular seaside touristic destination, particularly in the summer months. Farmers use land right up to the shores of the lagoon, and on the floodplains to the north.

Unfortunately, neither the fishing, nor the farming, nor the tourism have been developed with sufficient care, and all are now contributing to the stresses on the local ecosystems. Climate change is exacerbating the pressure. With vulnerable fish populations, dried and salt-damaged land, and unsustainable (and sometimes illegal) coastal development, the natural resources which have supported Ghar el Melh’s residents for centuries are at a tipping point, and their long-term viability is in doubt – the need for sustainable and integrated resource management has never been greater.

The GemWet project aims at creating a model for integrated coastal and wetlands management in North Africa. It specifically aims at protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring Ghar el Melah lagoon in Tunisia.