Mahdia: 300 youths clean Douira forest and El Alia beach

More than 300 young volunteers dedicated their Sunday to cleaning the Douira forest and El Alia beach in the Chebba delegation of Mahdia, Tunisia. This large-scale volunteer effort is part of the "Clean Mahdia" program, which brings together numerous associations to protect the region's natural spaces.

Asma Hamza, an environmental specialist and civil society activist, highlighted the initiative's goal: to halt the damage inflicted upon forest and maritime areas. Participants gathered substantial quantities of waste, primarily plastic and glass bottles, along with discarded fishing nets and ropes. Hamza emphasized that the Douira forest, a reforested but not naturally occurring area, is a vital environmental and recreational resource threatened by neglect.

To combat this degradation, Hamza proposed implementing a system for periodic inspections to identify violations. She also called for the installation of more garbage containers within the forest and along its main access routes. The civil society groups involved are determined to continue these cleanup campaigns, particularly along the coastline.

Looking ahead, a second intervention in the Douira forest is planned for the winter season. This future event aims to assess the impact of the current awareness campaigns and gauge the level of intervention from relevant authorities in environmental protection efforts.