Image Source: timep.org
The islands of Kerkennah, off the coast of Tunisia, stand to be significantly affected by rising sea levels brought on as a result of climate change. With dismal predictions regarding its increasing vulnerability in the coming decades, civil society organizations remain determined to improve the island’s adaptability and survival.
Located 17.9 kilometers from the Tunisian coast, northeast of the governorate of Sfax, the islands of Kerkennah form an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea with a perimeter of 160 kilometers. The archipelago is composed of two main islands: Gharbi and Chergui, or Grande Kerkennah, in addition to 12 islets. Kerkennah has a population of 15,501 people, according to the 2014 Tunisian National Institute of Statistics, a number that increases significantly in the summer due to the emigrants returning from mainland Tunisia, France, or Italy.
Covered with olive trees and vines, this archipelago, which once hosted the Carthaginian general Hannibal during his exile after the Battle of Zama, is now increasingly threatened by climate change and rising sea levels.
The islands of Kerkennah enjoy extensive marine diversity, with fishing occupying an important place in the daily life of the inhabitants of the islands. This activity represents the economic heart of Kerkennah. Fishermen in the Kerkennah islands practice unique fishing techniques, such as “the charfia,” a technique dating back several centuries innovated to reach low-lying schools of fish one or two meters below the surface. The charfia is classified as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.