In and around the Tunisian coastal city of Gabes, henna has long been a key driver of the economy -- so much so that the plant is known as "red gold". So imports of a treated version of henna from Sudan,Yemen and India are increasingly popular, with added chemicals limiting penetration of the skin.
The paste is used to color hair, palms, arms and feet with simple patterns that last for a month or so.
Gabes, Tunisia: In and around the Tunisian coastal city of Gabes, henna has long been a key driver of the economy -- so much so that the plant is known as "red gold".
But a water crisis and changing consumer habits are making farmers think twice about planting henna shrubs, despite their coveted leaves that have for centuries been ground down to paint nails, tint hair and ink temporary tattoos, especially for weddings.
"Gabes is dying because of the lack of water," says farmer Houcine Akrout, as he digs intricate channels around his green plants to maximise water flow in the early morning sunlight.
Akrout is hard at work, because the local water supply will today run from a canal onto his land -- a rare thing nowadays, due to government rationing.
Urbanisation and rapidly rising demand for water from industry and agriculture have put immense pressure on Tunisia's water reserves, according to the World Bank.
And a 2016 study of Tunisia's water services funded by Sweden's government found that losses from the irrigation network reach 40 to 50 percent.
For farmers like Akrout, that means waiting 15 to 20 days for access to the water supply.
''It's very long for the henna plant which needs lots of water," he tells AFP.
The situation is so bad he has uprooted most of his henna shrubs and replaced them with pomegranate trees -- a much less thirsty species.
from NDTV News - Top-stories https://ift.tt/2OfMuqm
Gabes, Tunisia: In and around the Tunisian coastal city of Gabes, henna has long been a key driver of the economy -- so much so that the plant is known as "red gold".
But a water crisis and changing consumer habits are making farmers think twice about planting henna shrubs, despite their coveted leaves that have for centuries been ground down to paint nails, tint hair and ink temporary tattoos, especially for weddings.
"Gabes is dying because of the lack of water," says farmer Houcine Akrout, as he digs intricate channels around his green plants to maximise water flow in the early morning sunlight.
Akrout is hard at work, because the local water supply will today run from a canal onto his land -- a rare thing nowadays, due to government rationing.
Urbanisation and rapidly rising demand for water from industry and agriculture have put immense pressure on Tunisia's water reserves, according to the World Bank.
And a 2016 study of Tunisia's water services funded by Sweden's government found that losses from the irrigation network reach 40 to 50 percent.
For farmers like Akrout, that means waiting 15 to 20 days for access to the water supply.
''It's very long for the henna plant which needs lots of water," he tells AFP.
The situation is so bad he has uprooted most of his henna shrubs and replaced them with pomegranate trees -- a much less thirsty species.
from NDTV News - Top-stories https://ift.tt/2OfMuqm
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