Hammamet: In the Tunisian seaside town of Hammamet, bulldozers are busily shoveling sand from the nearby desert onto a popular beach in an effort to prevent it from disappearing due to erosion.
Like many other coastal areas in North Africa, severe erosion has seen many of Hammamet’s sandy beaches disappear in recent years, taking a toll on the holiday hotspot about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of the capital, Tunis.
But human activity, including coastal real estate development and offshore sand mining, is greatly accelerating beach erosion.
Among other impacts, construction and coastal defenses in one area can prevent sediment from moving along the coast, stripping existing beaches of new material.
Studies have also shown that the effects of climate change, including rising temperatures and sea levels, are exacerbating the phenomenon.
The Tunisian coast is a major asset for the Mediterranean country with a struggling economy as it aims to welcome around 10 million tourists this year.
According to official data from last year, Tunisia has already lost more than 90 kilometers of beaches due to erosion.
Most of the beaches most affected by erosion are located near cities.
“The construction projects were not designed to respect the dynamics of the coast,” an APAL representative told AFP.
“This sand may not last long,” added the general secretary of the Environmental Education Association.
“In the case of a storm, it could be swallowed up in a few days,” he said, just as it was in the summer of 2023.
The process can also prove to be expensive.
But for local residents, restoring their priceless coastline is worth the money.
“For us, it’s a priority not to touch the beauty of the city,” she said.
Bouasker said she has seen a growing awareness among authorities, but replenishing beaches with sand is still a gamble.
“We don’t know how the sea will react,” she added.
