Key Indicator Development for Marine Litter Management in Tunisian Coastal Area

Amina Baccar Chaabane (), Abdallah Nassour and Hendrik Schubert
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Amina Baccar Chaabane: Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Rostock, 18055 Rostock, Germany
Abdallah Nassour: Department of Waste and Resource Management, Rostock University, 18059 Rostock, Germany
Hendrik Schubert: Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Rostock, 18055 Rostock, Germany

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 7, 1-24

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to identify and develop key indicators related to beach and marine litter using land and coastal areas as sources to diagnose the current situation in Tunisia. Based on the results, recommendations have been developed to support the decision-making process. In this study, three main indicators and twelve sub-indicators were developed and classified into driving factors and resulting situations. These were developed based on (1) a large literature and participative approach and (2) beach litter monitoring campaigns carried out on five beaches from the north to the south during three years and different seasons using the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) method for beach litter monitoring on 100 m. The results show that plastic represented the main littered item in coastal areas and beaches in Tunisia (ranging between 54% and 70%). In addition, another one of the most littered items was packaging, which ranged between 54% and 74% of the total waste. The findings highlight that tourism and recreational activities represent the main source of items identified (between 89% and 95%). Furthermore, the amount of litter identified was relatively important during a low tourism period in comparison to the period from the preseason preparation to the end of the high season when cleaning operations can have a great impact. Finally, the findings indicate that the average quantities of plastic per kilometer in Gammarth, Hammamet, and Sousse tourism areas were much lower than in Sfax and Gabès.

Keywords: marine litter; waste management; OSPAR; beach litter monitoring; coastal zone; key indicators; beach litter sources (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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