The Association for the Preservation of the Island of Djerba « ASSIDJE » announced on Tuesday that it has produced a documentary titled « I Protect My Fesqiya, So It Protects Me in Return » (فسقيتي نحميها تحميني), encouraging citizens to maintain their « Fesqiyas » (rainwater storage cisterns) to optimize the use of rainwater. This initiative is part of the project « Fsagui Djerba: Recharge, Retention, and Reuse of Water Cisterns in Djerba, A Better Future Facing Climate Change. » « Fsagui Djerba » aims to preserve and optimize water resources for better adaptation to climate change on the island of Djerba. It seeks to identify and promote public water cisterns as a cultural asset and raise awareness while involving the local population in combating the island’s vulnerability to climate change.
The project involves the location, rehabilitation, and maintenance of public water cisterns throughout the island of Djerba, as well as the reuse of collected rainwater. According to a report titled « Climate Resilience in a Drought Context: A Focus on Fsagui Djerba, » published by the association, « The island’s annual rainfall reaches 248.8 mm. However, this amount is insufficient to meet human and agricultural needs. The average number of rainy days on Djerba does not exceed 40 days per year. The rainfall is often scattered throughout the year. The majority of precipitation (over 60%) occurs between September and December, with a peak in October (68.7 mm, or 28% of the total annual precipitation). From January to March, rainfall decreases steadily. By April, the dry season begins, and during summer, rainfall is an occasional phenomenon. These rains are increasingly irregular, sometimes limited to just 3 or 4 rain episodes in an entire year. »
« From 1979 to 2023, the island experienced irregular rainfall, longer drought years, and sporadic floods. Climate projections and vulnerability studies conducted in Tunisia clearly show that Djerba is already experiencing—and will continue to experience—long-term effects of this phenomenon, particularly impacts related to rising temperatures, decreasing precipitation, and rising sea levels. »
« By 2100, the annual rainfall will drop from a total of 200 mm/year to 160 mm/year, a loss of 20% of the current amount. The most significant monthly disturbances will occur between February and April. » The association believes that « for all climate-related risks and challenges, adaptation is necessary to ensure the island’s resilience. Most of the issues are water-related, a resource that the people of Djerba have been managing with expertise since ancient times, making it a model to follow. The Majel or Fesqiya is a rainwater harvesting system that collects water from the roofs of houses or flat lands. This tradition has been passed down through generations since antiquity. These cisterns are spread across the island as well as on public roads and in mosques. The water conserved in these cisterns is precious and consumed carefully depending on the seasons and years. »
« ASSIDJE » was granted its official registration on May 26, 1976. Its mission is to work in all areas and by all means to ensure the harmonious development of the island of Djerba, ensuring the preservation of its economy, ecology, and traditional architectural and urban characteristics.
Source: La presse
