A Siege of Salt and Sand Review

The documentary, A Siege of Salt and Sand, depicts the climate disaster occurring in Tunisia by detailing the impacts that climate change has had on the everyday lives of the people. The documentary focuses on drought, rising sea levels, and desertification that has contributed to infertile land, a reduction in fruit and vegetable production, and dangerous living conditions for people across the country. The documentary features everyday people who have faced the consequences of climate change in their nation, which is effective in communicating the dire state of the situation.

What stood out to me the most was when the filmmakers interviewed the woman whose home had been buried by sand encroachment. 64% of Tunisia is at risk of desertification and 23% has already been desertified. Although she could shovel the sand out of the way, she knew that winds would bring more soon. Things like planting trees can help slow desertification; however, with infertile land and no rain, it is impossible to grow plant life. Sand encroachment literally paralyzes development, as the people become immobile and fertile land becomes covered. It was very eye opening to see the firsthand effects that climate change has had on the people of Tunisia.

A Siege of Salt and Sand successfully demonstrated the brutal consequences that climate change is having on everyday people whose environmental impact is minuscule. This documentary helped in my understanding of how interconnected each aspect of the environment is, from rainfall to winds to land fertility. Environmental catastrophe and water / food insecurity affects the way world leaders’ rule. While the Tunisian government was complacent in implementing policies that would slow the effects of climate change, popular protests and civil unrest eventually led to the adaption of the Tunisian Constitution in 2014. Today, only three nations feature issues of climate change in their constitution. As climate change effects start to make their way into other nations in MENA, it will be up to those in power to opt for increased legitimacy or repression to appease their populace.