La palmeraie des Îles Kerkennah (Tunisie), un paysage d'oasis maritime en dégradation : déterminisme naturel ou responsabilité anthropique ?

• Main Author: Noômène Fehri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Physio-Géo 2011-09-01
• Series: Physio-Géo
• Subjects: Archipelago of Kerkennah; environmental degradation; fragile environment; human intervention; palm grove; Tunisia
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/physio-geo/2011

The archipelago of Kerkennah, located in the Gulf of Gabes at about 18 kilometers off the town of Sfax, is characterized by the fragility of its “natural environment”. This fragility could be summarized in three points:- a semi-arid climate characterized by a long dry summer with an annual hydric deficit greater than 1000 mm/year;- a preponderance of soft formations mainly the red würmian silts favourable to coastal erosion worsened by an ancient subsidence which dates back to the Tyrrhenian;- a domination of salty soils which cover almost half of the whole area.This fragility is explained by two major problems: a rapid retreat of the coast line and a continuous extension of the salt playas at the expense of the palm grove whose trees are dying in hundreds.This article focuses on human impact that is provoking a sharp amplification of this naturally fragile environment degradation.A marked growth in salt production, a decline in local populations' interest in palm trees, certain fittings without previous impact studies, the opening of pits and the illicit exploitation of sand for building, overgrazing…, are the main anthropic factors contributing to this accelerated degradation.The whole environmental Kerkennah specificities must be taken in account as an essential condition for all rational and sustainable development action.