Environmental problems in Tunisia

Can there be too much of a good thing? Tunisia's nature may argue so. While economic growth has been strong in the country, not enough attention has been paid to the side-effects: pollution, over-exploitation of natural resources to name but a few.

Deforestation

The cutting of trees for fuel-wood needs has been particularly damaging to Tunisia’s forests. Among other impacts, deforestation has led to severe erosion, threatening 76% of the country’s land area in the late 1990s. Agriculture has also eaten into forests, especially in the Mediterranean hillsides along the coast.

Illegal & unsustainable wildlife exploitation

Endangered marine turtles, whose populations are already low, were reported as still being consumed traditionally in the 1990s. This included consumption of turtle eggs left by female turtles on the beach.

Another threat comes from professional as well as sport fishermen putting a high pressure on fish stocks, especially for species like lobster, sea bream, snapper, and grouper. Coastal bottom trawling causes serious damage to stocks by exploiting marine organisms' nursery and breeding zones in shallow waters. Posidonia (a seaweed) meadows are also dug up by these trawlers.


Pollution

The rapid expansion of towns, without the appropriate sanitary systems, is generating growing amounts of waste and degrading the surrounding environment.

Meanwhile, pollution from industry and farming activities threatens the nation's limited water supply. Most industries are established along the coast and release untreated waste into the water.