Wetlands in North Africa, and particularly in Tunisia, are naturally fragile and vulnerable to climatic hazards and human intervention. The restoration of these areas poses an urgent challenge for the country, which since January 2023 has been involved in a project to restore wetlands in North Africa, led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) North Africa, in partnership with the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS). The project "Restoration of North African wetlands as a nature-based solution to improve water and food security (Restore NAW)" was presented on Thursday at a regional workshop to share experiences and best practices for the management and preservation of wetlands in North Africa. By definition, a wetland is an area of land that is saturated with water or flooded, either permanently or seasonally. There are three types of wetland: Continental wetlands, coastal wetlands and artificial wetlands. They offer humans and the other species that live there a quality living environment so that they can thri ve in a healthy world. Project coordinator at WWF NA Asma Yahyaoui explained that "Restore NAW is a three-year regional initiative (2023-2025). The two pilot sites selected for the project are the Ghar el Melh lagoon complex (Bizerte) in Tunisia and the Sebou watershed in Morocco. These areas had been selected because of their critical importance for local and global biodiversity. Restoring these wetlands will not only help to preserve natural wealth, but also strengthen the resilience of local communities in the face of ever-changing environmental challenges." "The goal of the project is to effectively manage and conserve freshwater resources in the targeted sites, thereby providing crucial support to ecosystems both locally and globally. By focusing on regional coordination, the project aims to promote best practice in Nature-based Solutions (NBS)." In Tunisia, she added, WWF North Africa is currently conducting a study on the functioning of the soil and hydrology in the traditional agriculture of the "G atayas" in the Sebkha of Sidi Ali El Mekki, with a view to identifying an appropriate restoration solution to improve the flow and quality of the water in the Sebkha, while enhancing the know-how and typicality of rain-fed agricultural production systems. "Furthermore, work is underway to support farmers in implementing intelligent agriculture by encouraging the use of best agricultural practices in terms of the use of meteorological data for better irrigation and fertiliser planning in the public irrigated areas of Ghar el Melh." Taking the floor, OSS representative Nabil Hamada pointed out that "water security is a major and growing concern on the African Continent, and wetlands offer proven solutions for this security. Although these areas only cover about 6% of the earth's surface, 40% of all plant and animal species live or reproduce there. Worryingly, they are disappearing three times as fast as forests. Some 35% of the world's wetlands have disappeared in the last 50 years." He also said that "the e cosystem services provided by these areas are numerous: Flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification, income sources, leisure activities, tourism, etc.." "North Africa, the driest region in Africa, accounts for less than 1% of renewable water resources, despite covering 19% of the continent's surface area. It has an average of just 617 m3/capita/year, the lowest per capita water potential in the world. Tunisia has a water shortage (500 m3/capita/year). This water scarcity is exacerbated by the impacts of climate change coupled with population growth." "Particularly in North Africa, wetlands are naturally fragile and vulnerable. Degradation factors include excessive fishing, water pollution, pesticides, waste of all kinds (particularly plastic), invasive exotic species, recurrent and prolonged droughts caused by evapotranspiration, etc.. The degradation and fragmentation of ecosystems are considered to be the main cause of the loss of biodiversity components." "Restoration, as a nature-based solu tion, is the most balanced, sustainable and ecologically reliable," he concluded. Source: EN - Agence Tunis Afrique Presse