{"id":15123,"date":"2026-07-09T08:42:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T08:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/?p=15123"},"modified":"2026-07-09T08:42:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T08:42:21","slug":"tunsea-restore-restoration-education-and-heritage-on-the-shores-of-ghar-el-melh-tunisia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/2026\/07\/tunsea-restore-restoration-education-and-heritage-on-the-shores-of-ghar-el-melh-tunisia\/","title":{"rendered":"TunSea Restore: restoration, education and heritage on the shores of Ghar el Melh, Tunisia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The TunSea Restore project is one of six small projects selected under the RESCOM initiative of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium (MBC). Implemented by the TunSea Association, it focuses on contributing to the restoration of the coastal area of Ghar el Melh beach through Nature-based Solutions, in close collaboration with local communities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">While the project is still ongoing, a number of activities have already taken place on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Restoring sand dunes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">One of the core activities of the project is the restoration of the sand dunes. These dunes play a crucial role in protecting the coastline and the lands behind it. Restoring them helps stabilize the sand, rebuild natural barriers, support livelihoods, and secure both the land and people\u2019s future.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15130\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15130\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15130 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15130\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">\u00a9 TunSea Association<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15129\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15129\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15129\" src=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Restoring-sand-dunes-in-Ghar-el-Melh-beach-Tunisia-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15129\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">\u00a9 TunSea Association<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Coastal dunes and Biodiversity awareness day in Ghar el Melh <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">As part of the project, a Coastal Dunes and Biodiversity Awareness Day was organised in Ghar El Melh. Students from the local middle school took part in an educational session about coastal dunes \u2014 what they are, the biodiversity they shelter, and the threats they face. The day also included a field visit to the Gataaya agricultural lands \u2014 traditional Ramli farming plots created on the sebkha of Sidi Ali El Mekki. This ancestral system, unique in the world, was recognised by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/giahs\/giahs-around-the-world\/tunisia-ramli-agricultural-system\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System<\/a> in 2020. The visit aimed to better understand the ecological and human dimensions of this area, as well as the role Nature-based Solutions can play in protecting such ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Participants also visited the project site itself, where they discovered TunSea Restore&#8217;s objectives and the concrete actions being carried out on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15126\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15126\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15126 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15126\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Visit to the El Gataaya in Ghar el Melh, Tunisia \u00a9 TunSea Association<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15127\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15127\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15127 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/field-visit-to-the-Gataaya-agricultural-lands.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15127\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">El Gataaya agricultural lands in Ghar el Melh, Tunisia \u00a9 TunSea Association<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Dune-stabilising vegetation was also planted on site to help fix the dunes, reduce erosion, and strengthen the resilience of the coastline. An information plaque was installed to make the restoration actions more visible to visitors and the local community.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15125\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15125\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-15125\" src=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Dune-stabilising-vegetation-was-also-planted-on-site-to-help-fix-the-Ghar-el-Melh-dunes-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Dune-stabilising-vegetation-was-also-planted-on-site-to-help-fix-the-Ghar-el-Melh-dunes-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Dune-stabilising-vegetation-was-also-planted-on-site-to-help-fix-the-Ghar-el-Melh-dunes-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Dune-stabilising-vegetation-was-also-planted-on-site-to-help-fix-the-Ghar-el-Melh-dunes-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Dune-stabilising-vegetation-was-also-planted-on-site-to-help-fix-the-Ghar-el-Melh-dunes-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Dune-stabilising-vegetation-was-also-planted-on-site-to-help-fix-the-Ghar-el-Melh-dunes.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15125\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Planted vegetation to help fix the dunes \u00a9 TunSea Association<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15124\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15124\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-15124\" src=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Activite-de-sensibilisation-au-profit-des-eleves-du-college-de-Ghar-El-Melh-par-Tunsea--1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Activite-de-sensibilisation-au-profit-des-eleves-du-college-de-Ghar-El-Melh-par-Tunsea--1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Activite-de-sensibilisation-au-profit-des-eleves-du-college-de-Ghar-El-Melh-par-Tunsea--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Activite-de-sensibilisation-au-profit-des-eleves-du-college-de-Ghar-El-Melh-par-Tunsea--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Activite-de-sensibilisation-au-profit-des-eleves-du-college-de-Ghar-El-Melh-par-Tunsea--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Activite-de-sensibilisation-au-profit-des-eleves-du-college-de-Ghar-El-Melh-par-Tunsea-.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15124\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Information plaque installed at the project site \u00a9 TunSea Association<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>35th edition of Heritage Month<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Beyond fieldwork, TunSea also participated in the 35th edition of Heritage Month, under the theme &#8220;<em>Heritage and the art of architecture<\/em>&#8220;, through the event &#8220;<em>Ghar el Melh\u2026 an Andalusian destination<\/em>&#8221; held at the Ghar el Melh Cultural Centre. This participation underscores the importance of linking maritime, cultural and environmental heritage, and highlights the role of local community engagement in protecting coastal ecosystems and preserving local maritime memory.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15131\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15131\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-15131 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TunSea-at-the-35th-Heritage-Month-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TunSea-at-the-35th-Heritage-Month-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TunSea-at-the-35th-Heritage-Month-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TunSea-at-the-35th-Heritage-Month-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TunSea-at-the-35th-Heritage-Month-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TunSea-at-the-35th-Heritage-Month.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15131\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">\u00a9 TunSea Association<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">More activities are planned in the coming months. To follow TunSea Restore&#8217;s progress, visit the project&#8217;s dedicated page: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/small-projects\/tunsea-restore-contributing-to-coastal-restoration-of-ghar-el-melh-beach\/\">TunSea Restore \u2013 MBC<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The TunSea Restore project is one of six small projects selected under the RESCOM initiative of the Mediterranean Biodiversity Consortium (MBC). Implemented by the TunSea Association, it focuses on contributing to the restoration of the coastal area of Ghar el Melh beach through Nature-based Solutions, in close collaboration with local communities. While the project is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15128,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[55,100],"tags":[104,102,105,103,63],"class_list":["post-15123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-small-project-tunsea-restore","tag-gataaya","tag-ghar-el-melh","tag-ramli","tag-restore-nature","tag-wetlands"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15123"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15142,"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15123\/revisions\/15142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medconsortium.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}