Sand dunes advance on Old Mahlel. Photo: Nikolaos Symeonidis
The Sahara has gone through cycles of desertification before—it used to be an ocean, after all. But the continued mistreatment of the land with modern means of agricultural production has accelerated today's destruction to the point that the loss of arable land is now projected at 35 times the historical rate. In Tunisia, a North African country comparable in size to the state of Illinois and home to nearly 11 million people, 75 percent of the land is threatened by desertification. The southern part of the country is the hardest hit."Our ancestors adopted ways of life that were adapted to the environment," Ben Khatra explains, noting that low-impact and minimal production allowed the land to regenerate. But the pressures of modern living and harmful farming techniques, including overgrazing and deforestation, have all contributed to desertification. Soil erosion has increased the salinity in the water, rendering it unsafe (or at the very least, untasteful) for consumption.The hardest hit communities are often the poorest, and have no choice but to keep exploiting the soil for resources."It's an infernal circle," Ben Khatra says.Read more: There's a Long-Lost 'Paleo-River' Beneath the Sahara Nobody Knew Existed
What's left of the kitchen in Ameur Saad's old house in Old Mahlel. Photo: Nikolaos Symeonidis
Mbarka stands in front of her house. Photo: Nikolaos Symeonidis
A farmer and a donkey shield their faces from blowing sands outside of Douz. Photo: Nikolaos Symeonidis
The Tunisian government has proposed that residents in the area relocate elsewhere. A government official told Ameur, before the 2011 revolution, to "just go to Tunis or Gabes, or somewhere. Why do you want to live in the desert?" Sabria villagers told me that the local government gave villagers the option of assisted relocation. But for many residents, this is their home and their way of life; they have no desire to leave. Instead, Mbarka "would like the government to come with trucks and with materials to take the sand. But they would have to do it often. If they do it once in awhile, nothing will happen.""We do the most we can to protect the food from the sand, but our stomachs are full of it anyway!"
Gusts of wind blow the sand, creating a landscape of shifting dunes. Photo: Nikolaos Symeonidis
Planting trees is a useful tool in combatting desertification, as long as the plants can stay alive. Photo: Nikolaos Symeonidis