Aquatic turtles struggle to survive severe drought in Tunisia

NABEUL, TUNISIA - APRIL 24: Aquatic turtles living "Wadi Shaybah" dam in the Nabeul province, northeastern Tunisia are at risk of losing their natural habitats as the valley is facing a catastrophic situation in recent times due to drought that is now in its fourth year.Turtles in the area seem to be chasing the rest of the dam's water, which has receded to an extreme extent and threatens the lives of these creatures.According to the data announced by the Nabeul Agricultural Regional Directorate, the water level in the dam, built in 1963, has dropped to 0.1 percent. This rate corresponds to a water quantity of 2,000 cubic meters in the dam, which has a capacity of approximately 3.8 million cubic meters.The turtles, which are accustomed to abundant water in the region, struggle to reach the small puddle left in the wide area of the dam, while the mud on the ground prevents them.Hamza al-Fail, a research professor at the Tunisian University and expert in water desalination, told Anadolu that the reservoirs are estimated at 1 billion cubic meters — 30% of their maximum capacity — due to scarcity of rain between September 2022 to mid-March 2023.Tunisia started to impose water cuts for the first time in its fourth dry year.For the last three weeks, the state water distribution company SONEDE has been cutting off drinking water at night in the capital and other cities. Tunisian according to Hamadi Habib, senior official in the Ministry of Agriculture. (Footage by Arbi Mahjoubi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)