Ghar el melh: On a stretch of the Tunisian coastline in the governorate of Bizerte, an ingenious and globally unique agricultural system adapted to a biologically rich wetland environment is facing the risk of extinction. These ancestral farming practices, developed in sandy soils, have shaped not only the landscape of the coastal town of Ghar El Melh but also its traditions, social rituals, and the local population's relationship with both land and sea. According to Agence Tunis Afrique Presse, many farmers are currently campaigning to safeguard what they regard as both a national and worldwide heritage. Although still practised by around 180 farmers, and recognised on June 15, 2020, by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS/SIPAM), this form of cultivation is now threatened by unregulated urban expansion, climate change, and delays in clearing a water channel between the lagoon and the sea, upon which the entire natural irrigation system depe nds. The lack of generational continuity, caused by younger people turning away from artisanal agriculture, is also endangering this original and environmentally sustainable method of crop production. 'These peri-urban vegetable gardens, known as Ramli, are cultivated in sandy plots irrigated through an osmotic process. Potatoes, onions, lettuce, aubergines, beans, and other vegetable crops are grown in sandy soil and naturally irrigated using seawater that infiltrates and rises to the root zone,' explained guide for the NGO Tunisian Campers Mohamed Blanco. He was speaking to journalists visiting Ghar El Melh as part of a six-month training programme in environmental journalism. Ali Garsi, a farmer practising Ramli cultivation, is actively advocating for the preservation of this sand-farming system, which exists only in Tunisia. 'With no new generation taking over, we must ensure these practices endure, despite mounting threats,' he stated. Garsi pointed out that the main problem today is the obstruction of the water conduit between the lagoon and the sea, which the entire natural irrigation system depends upon. Meanwhile, Zohra Ennafef, a member of the Executive Bureau of the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP) and President of the Agricultural Women's Federation, is campaigning to ensure better commercial access for Ghar El Melh agricultural produce and to defend public maritime land. Ennafef is advocating for the geographical labelling and recognition of Ghar El Melh's agricultural products as unique intangible heritage. For the record, the town of Ghar El Melh, which contains a wetland of approximately 15,000 hectares, obtained the designation 'Wetland City - RAMSAR City' in October 2018. Preserving its ecological wealth, social and cultural heritage, and biodiversity is therefore not only a national obligation but also a global responsibility.