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left:Gabioncheckdamsareusedto
slowdown(moreinfiltration)therunoff
flowandinsomecasestodivertpartly
toneighbouringfields.(Photo:Ouessar
Gabioncheckdam M.)
TunisiaOuvrageengabion(Fr) right:GabioncheckdamintheJeffara
plain.Duringthelastflood,itwas
bypassedduetoerosion(ontheleft
side)andthenlostitseffectiveness
(Photo:CyprienHauser)

Location:Medenine
Region:BeniKedhacheBhayra
Thetechnologyofcheckdamisatechniqueconsistingof Technologyarea:10100km2
bindingdifferentgabioncagesfilledwithsmallstonestogether Conservationmeasure:structural
toformacompleteflexiblegabionunit. Stageofintervention:rehabilitation/
reclamationofdenudedland
Inordertoslowdownthewaterflowinthewadicoursesandimproveitsinfiltration Origin:Developedexternally/
intodeepersoillayersandgeologicformations,smallcheckdamsareinstalledon introducedthroughproject,1050years
thewadibeds.Theyareusuallypositionedinseries,withaspacingof100500m. ago
Thesedamsaremadeofgabion.Thegabiontechniquehasbeenfirstintroduced Landusetype:
inthecivilengineeringdomain.Theyarelargelyusedsincethenandfoundmany Cropland:Treeandshrubcropping
applications.Agabionisacagewhichhasacubicshapefilledwithstonymaterial Grazingland:Extensivegrazingland
ofsuitablediameterenclosedinmetalgratingkeepingthestonestogetherand Landuse:
stopsthemfrommovingunderthepressureofwater.Thegabionisnormallythe Grazingland:Extensivegrazingland
nameofthecageonlybutitisalsousedfrequentlyforthewholestructureitself. (before),Cropland:Treeandshrub
Thetechniqueofgabioncheckdamconsistsinbindingdifferentcagestogetherto cropping(after)
formacompletegabionunit.Theaverageheightvariesfrom1to4manditslength Climate:arid,subtropics
isafunctionofthewidthofthewadibed(Royet,1992). WOCATdatabasereference:
T_TUN010en
Relatedapproach:Participative
sustainablewaterharvestingandsoil
conservationintheJeffararegion
(TUN001)
Compiledby:MongiBenZaied,IRA
InstitutdesRgionsAridesdeMdenine
Tunisia
Date:20081230
Contactperson:MongiChniter,CRDA
4100MedenineTunisia

Classification
Landuseproblems:
DegradationofsoilandlandcoverLossofwaterandsoilressourcesFlooding(expert'spointofview)
Lossofwaterresourcesbyflowoutfromthewatershed(landuser'spointofview)

Landuse Climate Degradation Conservationmeasure

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Treeandshrubcropping arid Soilerosionbywater:gully Structural:Dams/pans:
Extensivegrazingland erosion/gullying storeexcessivewater
Grazingland:Extensive
grazingland(before)
Cropland:Treeandshrub
cropping(after)

Leveloftechnical
Stageofintervention Origin
knowledge

Prevention Landusersinitiative:traditional(>50yearsago) Agriculturaladvisor

Mitigation/Reduction Experiments/Research:recent(<10yearsago) Landuser
Rehabilitation Externallyintroduced:1050yearsago

Maincausesoflanddegradation:
DirectcausesHumaninduced:deforestation/removalofnaturalvegetation(incl.forestfires)
Maintechnicalfunctions: Secondarytechnicalfunctions:
increaseofgroundwaterlevel/rechargeof waterspreading
groundwater

Environment
NaturalEnvironment
Averageannualrainfall Altitude(ma.s.l.) Landform Slope(%)
(mm)

>4000mm >4000 plateau/plains flat

30004000mm 30004000 ridges gentle
20003000mm 25003000 mountainslopes moderate
15002000mm 20002500 hillslopes rolling
10001500mm 15002000 footslopes hilly
7501000mm 10001500 valleyfloors steep
500750mm 5001000 verysteep
250500mm 100500
<250mm <100

Soildepth(cm) Growingseason(s):180days(OctMar) Groundwatertable:550m

Availabilityofsurfacewater:excess(eg
020 flood),medium,poor/none
Waterquality:poordrinkingwater
2050
Biodiversity:medium
5080
80120
>120
Tolerantofclimaticextremes:heavyrainfallevents(intensitiesandamount),floods

HumanEnvironment
Croplandperhousehold Landuser:groups/community,Small Importanceofofffarmincome:>50%of
(ha) scalelandusers,common/averageland allincome:Offfarmincomescomefrom
users,mainlymen migration,constructionworks,commerce,
<0.5 Populationdensity:1050persons/km2 tourismsector,administrationorinformal
Annualpopulationgrowth:<0.5% activities.
0.51
Landownership:state Accesstoserviceandinfrastructure:
12 Landuserights:communal(organised) low:financialservicesmoderate:health,
25 Wateruserights:communal(organised) technicalassistance,employment(egoff
515 (Generally,thistechnologyisappliedinthe farm),market,energy,roads&transport
wadibedswhichisconsideredasstate high:education,drinkingwaterand
1550
ownedbutthelocalcommunitycanhave sanitation
50100 access.) Marketorientation:
100500 Relativelevelofwealth:average,which
5001,000 represents60%ofthelandusers30%of
thetotalareaisownedbyaverageland
1,00010,000
users
>10,000

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Technicaldrawing

Gabioncheckdamismadeof
galvanisedblocksfilledwith
stones.(OuessarM.)

Implementationactivities,inputsandcosts
Establishmentactivities Establishmentinputsandcostsperunit
Topographicsurveyandselectionofthesite Inputs Costs(US$) %metby
Gabioninstallation landuser
Diggingofthebasement
Labour 5000.00 0%
Constructionmaterial
constructionmaterial 5000.00 0%
Gabioncages 10000.00 0%
TOTAL 0.00%

Maintenance/recurrentactivities Maintenance/recurrentinputsandcostsperunitperyear
Reconstruction Inputs Costs(US$) %metby
Repairofbreaks landuser
Labour 500.00 0%
Constructionmaterial
constructionmaterial 500.00 0%
Gabioncages 1000.00 0%
TOTAL 0.00 0.00%

Remarks:
constructionmaterials

Assessment
ImpactsoftheTechnology
Productionandsocioeconomicbenefits Productionandsocioeconomicdisadvantages
increasedcropyield
increasedfodderproduction

Socioculturalbenefits Socioculturaldisadvantages

Ecologicalbenefits Ecologicaldisadvantages
increasedwaterquantity
rechargeofgroundwatertable/aquifer
increasedwaterquality
reducedsurfacerunoff
reducedhazardtowardsadverse

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events
reducedsoilloss

Offsitebenefits Offsitedisadvantages
increasedwateravailability Decreasewateravailabilityforcoastaldepressions
reduceddownstreamflooding (sebkhas)
reduceddownstreamsiltation Decreasewateravailabilityfordownstreamusers

Contributiontohumanwellbeing/livelihoods
Rechargeofgroundwater(waterlesssaltyandmoreavailable)andprotectionagainstthefloods.

Benefits/costsaccordingtolanduser

Benefitscomparedwithcosts shortterm: longterm:

Establishment slightlynegative positive
Maintenance/recurrent positive positive

GabionchechdamsarefinancedbytheState

Acceptance/adoption:

Concludingstatements

Strengthsand howtosustain/improve Weaknessesand howtoovercome

Robustandflexiblestructures Regularandgood Accumulationofsediments Desilting
maintenance
Theycannotbefullyexploitedbythefarmers Change
Efficientstructures Regularandgoodmaintenance regulations.

Veryexpensiveandcostnotaffordablebynormalfarmers
Continuesubsidisingbythegovernment.

Copyright(c)WOCAT(2017)

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