1The main cause of warming since the mid-20th century is of human origin. Anthropogenic activities alter the Earth’s energy balance (Deléage, 1991), leading to changes in energy flux or “radiative forcing”, characterized by greenhouse gas emissions (Kandel, 2010; Tabeaud, 1998). These forcings stem from lifestyles (energy consumption, use of agricultural land and rare lands), demographics, and climate policies. The contribution of anthropogenic forcings ranges from 0.5 to 1.3°C (Deléage, 1991; Kandel, 2010; Tabeaud, 1998). This warming affects the entire climate system, resulting in a decrease in cold days and nights, an increase in warm nights, intensification of extreme events, ocean warming, ocean acidification, reduction of ice caps, glacier retreat, and sea-level rise, among other impacts (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2023).
2Faced with climate change, it becomes evident that “classical’’ scientific popularization is no longer sufficient to generate interest. Often perceived as an abstract and distant concept, or complex, through the use of numbers and scientific protocols, climate change can be biased by moralizing discourses. Communicating through aesthetics emerges as an approach to address these issues and raise awareness among a broader audience (Blanc & Lolive, 2008; Clavel, 2012). This offers the opportunity to explore the subjective aspects of ecology, such as the connections between humans and nature, and to stimulate awareness and even a modification of behaviors.
3This article proposes to examine the representation and heritage conservation of landscapes affected by climate change in Tunisia, based on a commission from an association aiming to photograph these landscapes. To achieve this, we opted for the method of immersion and participant observation (Bourdieu, 1978; Jones, 2000; Lapassades, 2002) within this Tunisian association and conducted semi-structured interviews with the members of the association’s board. Thus, we analyzed three types of representation of these landscapes: the representations of the association, the photographic representation, and the representation resulting from their exhibition. How to represent these landscapes on the one hand, and to what extent the impact of these photographs is evident in the recognition of the value of landscapes and awareness of climate urgency on the other hand?
4According to CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management), photographs of climate change should “include, but not exclusively, extreme events and environmental destruction – flooding, droughts, deforestation, and other extreme climates; adaptation to the effects of climate change; resilience and innovative solutions; natural resources – safety and conservation.” These photographs come from both professionals (such as photographs from the DATAR mission, Archives de la planète) and amateurs.
5Landscapes exist at the intersection of nature and culture; they are a creation of the mind that is natural, social, and aesthetic. These photographs offer an aesthetic and subjective viewpoint while providing information about a specific situation (Babou, 2012; Blanc & Lolive, 2008; Glon, 2012; Piette, 1992). They also serve as a means of recording and archiving (collective memory and practice) (Luginbühl, 1995). These almost intangible objects preserve the representation of these landscapes at a given moment. Interrogating these representations recognizes the diversity of perceptions and practices within the same space, encouraging shared reflection with its inhabitants.
6Representation, as both a process and product of our individual or collective interpretation of reality (Le Lay, 2016) constitutes a subjective appropriation of the real, shaped by psychological experience, attachment to place, and sociopsychological representations (Bavoux, 2009; Clavel, 2012; Dias & Ramadier, 2017). Influenced by our cultural heritage, these initially mental representations can materialize through media such as photography (Le Lay, 2016). The study of places as a social object, initiated by the new geography in the 1970s (Bailly, 1985; Frémont, 2010), evolved with P. Clavel and J. Bonnemaison in the 1980s, integrating the relationship between humans and the environment, intangible culture, and vernacular knowledge (Clavel, 2012; Le Lay, 2016; Staszak, 2012). N. Thrift’s “non-representational theory,” going beyond a static view, examines everyday social practices and their co-evolution. Considering these approaches, our relationship with places involves spatial practices, social relationships, and representations mutually influenced by individual social positions and spatial positioning (Bailly, 1985; Bavoux, 2009; Dias & Ramadier, 2017; Goeldner-Gianella & Humain-Lamoure, 2010).
7These photographs also serve as a means to raise awareness among a wider audience about environmental issues. Aesthetic appeal emerges as a method to achieve this goal (Blanc & Lolive, 2008; Clavel, 2012). The use of photography to address climate change opens the discussion to a larger audience because, unlike scientific reports that require a minimum of vocabulary or training to read and understand, photographs are encountered daily, making them more accessible: “We are confronted with photographs all day long, whether we want to or not. We have a certain familiarity with these things, and in my opinion, that makes them more accessible.” (Interview with Laure Brayer in 2019). These climate change photographs also allow for the study of the representations held by climate change actors (Lenclud, 1995; Luginbühl, 1989), using the method developed by J. Collier in the United States in the 1960s known as “photo elicitation” or “sociology with images.”
8These photographs can also be considered as heritage, meaning they are part of
what is supposed to be worth transmitting from the past, to find value in the present” (...) Heritage is a set of attributes, representations, practices fixed on a non-contemporary object (thing, work, idea, testimony, building, site, landscape, practice) collectively declared important today. (Lévy & Lussault, 2013).
9Heritage status for these photographs would offer them distinction and preservation (Di Méo, 2006). Patrimonialization of these photographs involves valorizing them, stripping them of their utilitarian values to attribute heritage value to them. This heritage value would serve a dual purpose: recognition of the value of these landscapes and to raise awareness of climate urgency. Thus, these photographs become a common and visual heritage to manage, preserve, and promote (publishing, education, exhibition, etc.) (Académie de Nice, 2012; Honvault, 2011; Ministère de l’Écologie, de l’Énergie, du Développement Durable et de L’aménagement du Territoire, 2008; Perret, 2016).
10These photographs have already been the subject of numerous exhibitions. In 2007, the 8th Sharjah Biennial in the United Arab Emirates, themed “Still life art, ecology and the politics of change,” aimed to show how art allows us not only to understand our relationship with nature but also to make us aware of our responsibilities towards it. From 2008 to 2009, the traveling exhibition “Artists respond to a changing planet” was organized from works created by artists sent by the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, on an artist residency in eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 2009, during COP15 in Copenhagen, the exhibition “Rethink climate” aimed to artistically showcase climate change in four locations (National Gallery of Denmark, Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, the Nikolaj Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center, and Alexandra Institute). In 2010, the exhibition “Weather Report: Art and Climate Change” in Marseille, explored the relationship between contemporary art and biodiversity. In 2015, COP21 provided the opportunity for several exhibitions such as “Art of change 21” to understand the link between health and climate. In 2017, the Art + Climate = Change festival, organized by Climarte in Australia, aimed to demonstrate the “beauty” of the Earth destroyed by climate change. The Art + Climate = Change festival’s goal is to present challenges and solutions to climate change through scientific lectures and artistic exhibitions. For the organizers of this exhibition, climate change not only destroys natural resources but also cultural riches created and accumulated by humans. The objective was to create a collective and artistic voice through creative action, exhibiting the perspectives of multidisciplinary contemporary artists on the choices we make for the planet, aiming to motivate change not through facts and statistics but through aesthetics.
11Tunisia is located in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Sahara Desert to the south. The country features coastal areas with 500 km of sandy beaches, around a hundred wetland areas, and about sixty islands and islets. It also includes the Tunisian Dorsal mountains, with Djebel el Chambi as the highest point, rocky plateaus, fertile plains, and wetland zones. The economy and demography of the country are predominantly concentrated in the coastal regions, between Tunis, Bizerte, Sfax, and Gabès. The country’s economy is diversified among agriculture (focusing on wheat, barley, olives, citrus fruits, and dates), the textile and agri-food industries, and services, commerce, and distribution. Tunisia has abundant energy resources, including phosphate in the central region of Gafsa, crude oil in the southern Gulf of Gabès, and natural gas.
12Due to its highly variable climate and significant aridity, Tunisia is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Already facing water stress, it will experience a decline in water resources and precipitation, increased temperatures, and two-thirds of its territory will be affected by desertification. The “green gold of Tunisia,” represented by olive tree production, is at risk, with a projected 50 % decrease by 2030 due to climate change, characterized by severe drought periods followed by heavy rainfall, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and the German cooperation agency. Water pollution-related diseases and respiratory illnesses are expected to emerge. The coastline is threatened by sea-level rise (estimated at 0.28-0.55 m by 2100) and temperature increases (2 to 2.5°C by 2100), according to the IPCC (2023). According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, sea-level rise in Tunisia will result in the intrusion of seawater, weakening or destroying aquifers and freshwater reserves, invading coastal wetlands, and altering coastal and marine ecosystems. It will weaken fishing activities and alter the structure of beaches, which are a major attraction for the country. Increasing average water temperatures will affect fishing and aquaculture, leading to changes in species, favoring more thermophilic ones. Islands will be the most vulnerable, with places like Kerkennah facing submersion and beaches in Djerba at risk of disappearing. Wetlands inundated by water will eventually turn into lagoons. Moreover, infrastructure such as ports, docks, residences, and sewage networks are also at risk. These challenges will be exacerbated by governance issues and socio-economic disparities. Since the end of the revolution, waste and forest fires have increased, and the trafficking of raw materials has grown, particularly in the mining basin of Gabès and Sfax.
13Tunisia’s heritage, known as the “granary of Rome,” is predominantly agricultural and hydrological. It will be impacted by climate change, especially desertification and water stress. Agricultural techniques dating back to Magon’s agronomy treaty will need to be rethought. In 2014, a comprehensive study conducted by researchers from the University of Innsbruck and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact identified over 130 sites that will be affected by sea-level rise in the long term, including the site of Carthage in Tunisia (United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], 2016).
14Tunisia was among the early signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted in Rio in 1992, the Kyoto Protocol of 2005, and the Paris Agreement on climate adopted in 2015 and ratified by Tunisia in 2016. In preparation for COP 21, Tunisia announced a target to reduce carbon intensity by 41 % by 2030 compared to 2010. Its constitution references climate change and the need for the establishment of a green economy in a sustainable development perspective. In February 2018, the seminar “Climate Change in Tunisia: Impact Management” took place at the Hotel de Paris in Tunis, organized by the Ministry of Local Affairs and the Environment, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The event was attended by the Minister of Local Affairs and the Environment, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Health, the Secretary of State, the Resident Representative of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and various actors from the public sector and civil society. In May 2018, Tunisia signed two agreements with France within the framework of the Program for the Adaptation to Climate Change in Vulnerable Territories (PACTE) 2018-2022, financed by the French Development Agency (AFD). The first agreement was concluded with CIRAD, which signed a convention to collaborate with Tunisia to support the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources, and Fisheries in its integrated rural development projects (PACTE). The second agreement was signed with the French Network for Public Agricultural, Agri-food, and Rural Development Expertise (ADECIA).
15This study on the representation and patrimonialization of landscapes affected by climate change in Tunisia was conducted using the method of immersion and participant observation within the Tunisian association, Réseau Enfants de la Terre. The objective was to explore the representations of landscapes affected by climate change through in-depth immersion within this association.
16Founded in 2011, Réseau Enfants de la Terre has the mission of promoting sustainable development principles, raising awareness about environmental issues, and teaching children the concept of eco-citizenship, with the broader goal of preserving natural and environmental resources. The immersion methodology, as emphasized by L. Brayer, aimed to focus on practices situated in spaces by being “in the situation” to better understand them. We actively participated in the subject of the study by responding to a request from the association to photograph landscapes affected by climate change in Tunisia.
17The immersion period, approximately fifteen days, provided a unique opportunity to closely analyze this initiative by observing the daily activities of the association. This approach was favored to lighten the workload of the association (Fauvel & Yoon, 2018), given its small size and dependence on the director and a few very active members. By temporarily integrating into the association to fulfil the assigned mission, the observer was able to study the association without increasing its workload, while providing tangible results in return (Fauvel & Yoon, 2018). This observer-participant posture facilitated the response to the research question, allowing for a deep understanding of the representations of landscapes affected by climate change in Tunisia.
18By actively participating in the association’s activities and meeting its expectations, we gained the acceptance of its members (Moussaoui, 2012). This allowed us to not only fulfill the initial mission but also conduct semi-structured interviews with members of the association’s board, and Laure Brayer, who has a Ph.D. in architecture and is a researcher at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Grenoble. Her specialization lies in the design of space, its representations, and transformations. These interviews, totaling approximately four hours, provided insights into the objective of using photography to raise awareness about climate reality, the selection of examples to photograph, and clarification on whether they accurately reflect the climatic reality of Tunisia. Indeed, according to J.-P. Deléage, “There is a close link between these two stories, the story of human relationships with nature and the story of the representations of these relationships” (Deléage, 1991).
19To achieve this, we utilized the method developed by J. Collier in the United States in the 1960s known as “photo elicitation” or “sociology with images,” later taken up by D. Harper in the 1980s (Lenclud, 1995; Luginbühl, 1989). This method was further developed in Europe by scholars such as J.-P. Métaillé, Y. Luginbühl, and Y. Michelin, and later adopted by L. Otthoffer-Latiri. It involves using photography as a basis for interviews to analyze the emotions it evokes, particularly to examine the representation of everyday landscapes by residents (Bigando, 2013; Latiri, 2001.
20According to L. Brayer, this method allows one to
collect the lived experiences of people, their sensory perception of spaces, because a photo is a small dose of reality, a more immersive experience, less distant. It is also a way to make visible, to talk about what goes unnoticed out of habit. The use of photography allows for a new focused attention on things that may seem mundane but are actually constitutive of the experience one can have in a space. Using photography enables the elicitation of more sensitive discourses.
21We aimed to transform these photographs into heritage: archives of Tunisia’s landscapes, and to use this heritage as a means of raising awareness about climate change by organizing a photography exhibition. The patrimonialization of these photographs is about showcasing them to the general public, opening a debate, as L. Brayer further explains,
to bring out things that we may not have perceived yet, ways of practicing spaces, ways of perceiving them that we could not have imagined through our prism because we are not all equal in our sensory faculties, we are not all equal in the way we perceive atmospheres, but the cultural baggage we bring with us will tint our understanding of situations. This richness in understanding and acting in space seems absolutely fundamental to be able to welcome and understand.
22Following the fieldwork period, we organized a “sustainable” exhibition at the City Hall of the 2nd arrondissement of Paris from February 12 to March 10, 2019 (Figure 1). We used prints on recycled paper and frames provided by the city hall. The exhibition began with an explanation of the scientific approach with a text on the adopted methodology and another on the climatic context in Tunisia. The photographs were grouped by locations, with an explanatory text for each group describing the climate change phenomena experienced by the landscapes (Figures 2 and 3).
Figure 1. Photography of the exhibition, in 2019, by Poiret Andréa
Figure 2. Photography of the exhibition, in 2019, by Poiret Andréa
23Three to four photographs were selected for each location, including landscape photographs and portraits (Figure 2). They were chosen to represent climatic phenomena directly, for example, in Soliman, where it is possible to see the erosion phenomenon, but also indirectly. We presented the Séjoumi wetland to show the evolution of the landscape with photographs of the agricultural landscape and the wetland that are disappearing, and pollution and urbanization that are increasing. Monastir is presented from the viewpoint of the Ribat, an architectural monument that overlooks the city and shows the densification of coastal tourist development, threatened by sea level rise. The risk of drought in Zaghouan is represented symbolically from the figure of the water temple, and figuratively with a portrait of a man fetching water from the fountain, as well as with a mountain landscape. The risk of submersion and the increase in sea temperature in Kerkennah are represented by the actors who undergo them, namely the fishermen (Figure 2), but also by showing the defensive structures put in place to protect against erosion. Desertification in Tozeur is represented, notably by a radical change in colors, which are much paler due to the presence of sand, yellow bricks, and sunlight. Minimalist landscapes are presented here. Drought in the palm grove is represented by the activities concentrated there, namely the use of water, both for date cultivation and for washing clothes. Showing floods in Bou Salem was complicated since we were not there at that time, so we chose to depict rain and one of the hydroelectric dams.
24We obtained over a thousand photographs of these landscapes, biodiversity, and scientific demonstrations (including the destruction of houses on the coast of Soliman), as well as portraits of residents or scenes of daily life (especially in the palm grove near Tozeur), along with scientific and data collected from the local population. All the photographs were archived and sorted.
25According to the association’s director, using photography for the association increases visibility and communication:
The field of image and photography is a field of communication, and the potential of the association is communication. And especially, we work with young people, with teenagers, and images and photography are really essential for raising awareness and communicating environmental issues. [...] It will really defend our vision in terms of learning.” Photography also appears as a means of archiving: “It bears witness to history. It’s very important. And a testimony of the history of a region that will be truly affected by the impact of climate change. It will be like proof of existence, evidence.
26According to a member of the association’s board, photography
exposes the reality of things because sometimes we pass by without concentrating on seeing the details, so photography is an illustration, like a story, an illustration of reality. And maybe we can take out the photo and see details that we didn’t realize before. So it’s something that presents the reality of the thing and pushes people to think, that is, ‘why is this area like this?’, ‘why this photo?’. And that way, we can find solutions.
27According to the same person, she would use photography to
speak to decision-makers because I think the issue of climate change is a decision, everything legislative, [...]. I will show this to decision-makers. I think they can be sensitive. I think that in some areas, it is clear that they are not aware that there is a change or even that there is this vulnerability. So the photo is very touching; it shows the situation well, describes the situation well, it can change minds.
28This photography assignment on climate change in Tunisia allowed us to participatively observe an association dedicated to sustainable development education and study its representation of climate change in Tunisia. For this association, climate change is predominantly perceived through anthropogenic actions that it considers harmful to the environment: “These are problems. Humans are responsible for this. [...] It’s a phenomenon of climate change. These are changes that have accumulated over time but have accelerated due to human activity, so human behavior.” The director defines climate change based on scientific information:
A phenomenon that is there, that exists according to real results, according to facts. [...] The reality is there because the impact is palpable. There are even calculations that also show changes in production, in the land, and even the frequencies, floods, climate extremes, droughts, and others. They are increasing more and more, and there is no doubt that climate change is here.
29For Kerkennah (Figure 3), these scientific data are coupled with the testimonies of the local population, which are valued: “It is threatened to be submerged by the sea, especially since scientifically speaking, the sea level rises every year, and even the local population has realized that Kerkennah is changing every year.”
Figure 3. Kerkennah, by Poiret Andréa
30She associates the concept of climate change, even confuses it, with the vague concept of “sustainable development,” whose three pillars are the environment, society, and the economy: “This phenomenon affects all components. It affects the social and economic aspects and even the political aspect. We can talk about climate justice between generations but also between states. There are states and regions that do not really have the capacity to adapt. There will be poor countries that will and rich countries that have the means to adapt, but they will also see the negative impact of climate change. These are the challenges of climate change: no one is spared. Yes, you have money, but if floods or extremes kill everyone.”
The chosen words to define climate change are the key words of an association specialized in this field: “Adaptation, Mitigation, Communication, Education, Advocacy.” While there is a natural origin of climate change, it is considered minimal compared to the anthropogenic contribution: “Humans are responsible. Climate changes are, on one hand, natural. The Earth has been changing for a long time, but the acceleration of these changes is the most fatal. Now, every year, climate extremes. The causes are, of course, the poor management of humans for urbanization, consumption, the implementation of industrial projects, and even our industrial mode based on oil.”
31She provides details on the evolution of climatic phenomena:
[in Séjoumi, Tunis region] The days of drought and sunshine have increased. Before in Tunisia, we had almost more than two-thirds of the year with rain, and we had rainwater, and one-third of the year was a summer period where we automatically knew there would be no rain. Now we know that the rainy season has really decreased; it’s almost six months of the year without rain. So, the rains in recent years are torrential. They come all at once, and then we have months of drought.
32More generally, according to them, in Tunisia: “Almost all regions of Tunisia are affected by climate change; it is visible because now the landscape is almost... we are deforming Tunisia. Green Tunisia is no longer green.”
33Thus, there are landscapes of climate change represented based on human destructive actions on the environment. The association’s director chose the site of Zaghouan due to overconsumption of water by the inhabitants:
Our work in the field, we realized that Zaghouan needs to raise awareness among people about water issues, especially since historically Zaghouan is the temple of waters, a water source for all of Tunisia. But we worked on a project with a local association. And we clearly said there is overconsumption. Even people are not aware of the impact of their consumption on their site. And the local population has really realized that there is a lack of water, especially between old Zaghouan and, I would say, the new Zaghouan. There is an assessment that says the water wealth is really buried [...] For the Temple of Waters, water is no longer there; only the ruins of the water temple remain.
34These landscapes are also the result of an interrelation between social and environmental aspects; if residents are not the cause of climate change, they can be its victims. Social inequalities are one of the components of the discourse: “In Nabeul, it’s almost fatal because there are people who haven’t even been able to renovate their homes [...] find other homes, it’s also a social issue.” Behind these two aspects, the political aspect is never far away; if it’s not the residents who are called into question, it’s the state, as in the case of Bou Salem (Figure 4): “Every year, we experience floods in Bou Salem, and the state is not really able to find solutions for this area.”
Figure 4. Bou Salem, by Poiret Andréa
35They chose wetland areas primarily because biodiversity will be impacted:
Wetlands will be affected by climate change with the rise in heat, and if there are droughts, their biodiversity will be affected. There will be delicate birds that will really suffer. There are plants that may disappear. There are birds that spend almost the entire year in Séjoumi; the population has really decreased. (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Séjoumi, by Poiret Andréa
36However, the link with climate change is indirect; it is their mitigation capacity that is emphasized, and this is once again frenzied by anthropogenic action:
There are wetlands, for example, Séjoumi; it is a buffer for floods because there are wadis that pass through the wetland, discharging through the wetland. And even ornithological biodiversity will be affected by the pollution that the wadis will discharge into Séjoumi. [...] It is pollution that has disfigured this beautiful site. Every year, thousands of flamingos visit and there is this pink, black, and white color that hovers over Séjoumi. It is disfigured.
Figure 6. Séjoumi, by Andrea Poiret
37We also have the testimony of a member of the association on the evolution of the landscape in Séjoumi (Figure 6):
They were agricultural lands, cultivated with olive trees, vines. And later, a small village was established. Unfortunately, it was the first nucleus. These were constructions that did not take into account agricultural lands. We don’t even know if it was a wetland. And later, the government saw that there was this anarchic area, and it favored it because it installed other neighborhoods there. And suddenly, we have a proliferation of these constructions. So, gradually, it was a village, constructions, urbanization at the expense of agricultural lands. It was right next to the wetland; until 2007, the wetland was classified as a Ramsar zone, so there were certain protections [for] just a small [part of the zone]. It’s just a hundred hectares. These are agricultural lands, but unfortunately, in recent years, the vocation of these agricultural areas has changed. [...] So my job is to try to protect this small plot, these few hectares that remain, which are intact wetland and which really constitute for me why I have to protect them, where I insist, that is to say, urge decision-makers to protect them because for me, it is the origin, that is, it is the identity of the area. [...] These are lands that are favorable for birds because birds come to take food there, and there are even bird nests. So, we will see that the wetland will be threatened. We are building again, or we are eliminating these agricultural lands there. [...] Now, the development project aims to shrink the wetland, and so it will be an artificial lake, and so all the qualities of the wetland will disappear, even for the bottom. The bottom is absorbing toxic gases, etc., so it will be artificial. They will remove the bottom and put an artificial bottom. So, there is a gradual disappearance of the wetland. And there I think that this area is protecting the entire Tunisian government against certain threats of climate change.
38The representative coastal landscapes of climate change in Tunisia, for this association, are those of Soliman and Monastir (Figures 7 and 8). According to the director’s statements, it is primarily a temporal difference between the two sites: “Erosion, but Monastir is slow, erosion is gentle, it is not as fatal (Figure 7). The impact for Soliman is in 10 years, for Monastir in 50 years. It’s a time rhythm (Figure 8).”
Figure 7. Monastir, by Poiret Andréa
39We also obtained subjective descriptions of these evolving coastal landscapes:
Soliman, I cry for Soliman because it’s enormous every year. Every year you visit the beach, 2017 is not 2018, and even 2018 if you have the opportunity to return to Tunisia, you will see that Soliman has changed since 2018. 2019 will be more fatal. And especially the conditions of sailors, fishermen. They have no other alternatives; maybe the unemployment rate will increase because fishermen do not have enough to market, and even they will look for another job, especially the young ones. They will leave the sea and find another job, and it will certainly be in industry and others.” We also collected childhood memories of the director regarding Soliman’s beach: “We had a very vast beach, a very beautiful beach, and the sea was so clear... I lived in Soliman, it’s my hometown. I lived with my brother, who was a fisherman, and during fishing, we ate a lot of fish, varieties and varieties of fish, now it’s no longer there. It’s almost half of this variety; it’s no longer there. In Tunisia, we have cod, sea bream... It, sea bream, is no longer there. The coast of Soliman, you cannot find this multitude and variety of fish. [...] It’s my childhood speaking, and after all, this is no longer there. The sea where I swam, my children did not have the opportunity, the chance to swim there.
Figure 8. Soliman, by Poiret Andréa
40Regarding the future of these spaces, opinions are mixed within the association. Some believe in the legislative power of the Tunisian state, even if it is currently limited:
There is a good orientation, a good policy towards everything ecological. [...] Things are moving a little more, but practically, there are specifications for controlling factories, but it’s not very serious from the control point of view or from the point of view of law enforcement. I think there is no money for sustainable development. In terms of laws, there are many laws for climate change, but in terms of application, they are not strict, there is no strict control.
41Others rely directly on civil society:
The state cannot be sensitized; it is sensitized. They are even aware of their actions, but they do not have the ability or the strategy to fight against climate change. Now we talk about the Tunisian strategy for fighting climate change, but it is not enough because in reality, we have not really found projects [...] If the state is now unable to find the means. I do not believe in politics. I believe in mobilization, [...] finding a power other than the power of the state.
42However, at the level of civil society, there would still be a need to
increase awareness as well, there are other priorities. If you talk about the climate issue or environmental, ecology, they will tell you that it is not a priority. It is necessary because they do not understand that there is an effect even on the economy.
43That is why the association primarily aims for communication because
people need to understand what climate change is, the environment, how it contributes to the economy. So, there is a lot of work to be done on educating people on this issue because it is the last thing we talk about if you open the TV from time to time, but otherwise, there is not really continuity. It is not really a question that concerns them, but of course, there are people who do not know, for normal people, there are people who are unaware [of what climate change is]. I have met some people, even scientists who think the same as me, that nature will change it.
44The exhibition in Paris sparked numerous comments, starting with the speech by Mayor Jacques Boutault at the opening on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, who praised the alliance between raising awareness about climate change and aesthetics. One of the visitors shared his impressions of the exhibition, here is an excerpt:
I wanted to congratulate you on your work, for successfully giving it visibility by choosing an elected official to highlight it. Your photos and the associated documentation are an overview of the changes already underway. Everywhere in the world, whether it’s Oléron Island and the coastline retreat, the loss of the natural habitat of polar bears at the poles, or changes in agriculture in Tunisia, all humans are confronted with it. Thank you again for surely contributing to raising awareness on this subject, and it was enriching for me, an opportunity to exchange with very interesting people.
45Besides the information the exhibition provided him, this visitor testifies to the questions it triggered in him: “Your photos raise many reflections, and I would be interested to hear your point of view.
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All humans are spectators of this climate change and its impacts. But who is ready to change their habits?
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Which countries can afford to move towards the end of carbon (solar, wind,...)
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Changing the globalized economy and favoring short circuits (we eat apples from Peru...)
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How to finance, for developing countries, a reasoned management of water, waste, or pesticides and fertilizers that our chemical industries provide them?”
46What is interesting about this visitor is that he does not live in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris; he traveled there because the subject interested him for two reasons: the first being ecological because he lived half of the year on Oléron Island, which is experiencing sea-level rise, and the second being cultural because he loves the Maghreb. Many visitors were there for these two reasons. This is also how art and science can dialogue.
47A brief, final testimony is from a lady during the opening who asked: “But where is climate change in the photographs?” This question was very interesting because it is exactly the question that this research raises: how can one represent a climatic phenomenon that occurs over a long term? To answer this, we worked through participant observation by immersing ourselves in an association for which climate change is presented and represented based on its consequences on the landscape, but also on human action on the environment, such as pollution, or more indirectly by showing the actors who are victims of climate change, such as the fishermen of Kerkennah Island. This study has demonstrated the usefulness of heritage preservation of photographs of landscapes affected by climate change. Photography serves as an interesting means for communication and education on environmental issues.
48We attempted to address the following questions: how to represent climate change, and then how to turn these representations of landscapes into heritage? To what extent does the impact of these photographs manifest in the recognition of the value of landscapes and awareness of climate urgency?
49To answer these questions, we implemented a methodology of participant observation within a sustainable development association in Tunisia. We responded to the request to photograph landscapes representative of climate change in Tunisia. This research has multiple dimensions: the representations of landscapes by the association, the subjective representations of these landscapes by the photographer, and the presentation of these results during an exhibition. The exhibition helped materialize the heritage value of these photographs, highlighting their dual role: recognizing the importance of landscapes and raising awareness of climate urgency.
50We may wonder if the exhibition in Tunisia will lead to a discussion on the protection of these landscapes, which is currently unresolved. The patrimonialization of these photographs allowed us to question the purpose of museum spaces. Is it possible to imagine a museum space that hosts exhibitions of photographs, scientific conferences, and even public debates? This is precisely what the mayor of the 2nd arrondissement, J. Boutault, expressed during the vernissage, emphasizing that he was proud to host an exhibition that blends scientific information and aesthetics. Such a space would facilitate the archiving of the evolution of landscapes and engagement in discussions about them.
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