A traditional grazing technique called gdel was reintroduced in an area of south-eastern Tunisia to allow for the regeneration of local rangelands. The technique allows for plots of land to “rest” between grazing periods to encourage the recovery of vegetation.

Nature-based Intervention:

A traditional grazing technique, gdel, has recently been reintroduced in the Chenini community rangelands in south-eastern Tunisia. Gdel is the practice of allowing parts of the rangeland to “rest” without active grazing for a period of time to allow for the recovery of vegetation. The interventions were reintroduced and monitored across a 7,600 hectare area, including a control site of free grazing to allow for adequate monitoring of the results. Sites across the area were sheltered from grazing for up to three years and then exposed to short durations of grazing of one to two years at a time.

Overview of context and outcomes:

Grazing is the most extensive land use practice in southern Tunisia. Unfortunately, the rangelands in the region have suffered severe degradation over many decades largely due climate change impacts and the emergence of an agro-pastoral society in the place of a formerly pastoral one. During this evolution, traditional grazing patterns were largely abandoned which further exacerbated the unsustainable management of the rangelands.