Tunis, January 24 (BNA): Lake Ghar El Melh and its scientific observatory, OMELI, have been added to the eschatological demonstration sites, by the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program (IHP) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
“Based on this, Ghar El Melh became the first UNESCO coastal ecohydrological site in Africa and the Mediterranean,” said researcher at the National Institute of Marine Science and Technology (INSTM) Ola Amrouni.
UNESCO-IHP has promoted the creation of various demonstration sites around the world since 2011. The aim is to apply ecohydrology solutions in different watersheds at all levels, as an interdisciplinary scientific approach to achieve water quality improvement, biodiversity promotion, and sustainable development, the news agency reported. Tunisian.
This is done by understanding and using the relationships between hydrological and biological processes at the catchment scale.
Amrouni, regional coordinator of the Medfriend-Unesco programme, said the new label will allow OMELI Observatory to receive funding and technical support from UNESCO to conduct studies on the fragility of the coastal ecosystem.
OMELI was born out of a collaboration between the National Institute of Marine Science and Technology (INSTM) and the Institute for Research for Development (IRD). It aims to establish a better integrated water management in the lake and coastal regions of the Mediterranean and Africa.
Ghar El Melh became the first Arab and North African city on the list of Ramsar sites in 2018.
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1975 by UNESCO. It aims to halt the gradual loss of wetlands and enhance their economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value.
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