The impact of industrial emissions in Gabès: A considerable cost for the region’s economy

Since 1970, the Gulf of Gabès, which has the only maritime oasis in the Mediterranean and is a marine biodiversity reserve, has faced with strong air, water and soil pollution, related to the discharges of the chemical industry. The Tunisian chemical group’s phosphate processing units discharge 4 million tons of phosphogypsum into the sea every year, weakening a rare ecosystem and the entire economy of Gabès.

According to the study commissioned in the context of PGE-Gabès (see opposite), industrial pollution leads to a decline in productivity from agriculture and fishing and to certain plots being abandoned by farmers. For tourism, the hotel occupancy rate is stagnating at a level well below the surrounding tourism regions, despite the fact that it has clear potential for seaside and Saharan tourism.

The annual cost of environmental degradation (CED) is estimated at TND 76m for 2015 alone. Fishing alone suffers from 47% of losses, i.e. TND 35 m a year. It is followed by tourism with TND 25m (33%) and agriculture with TND 5m (7%). There is also the additional burden weighing on the health system, which is estimated at some TND 10m a year (13%).

The study developed two scenarios for the trend in the cost of environmental degradation by 2030: the breakup scenario, with the relocation of polluting units, and the “business as usual” scenario, if the current industrial site is maintained. The first scenario would avoid a total cost of environmental degradation of some TND 1,000m for 2016-2030.

Main recommendations

Industrial pollution is not alone in being responsible for the decline in the productivity levels of economic activities. It is necessary to know more about and monitor the impacts of overfishing, the urbanisation of oases and other sources of pollution in order to better determine the impact that pollution has on the region’s economy. A substantial amount of data needs to be updated and completed with support from civil society in Gabès.

This study, which is part of the activities conducted by PGE-Gabès, contributes to generally improving knowledge about the issue of the impacts of industrial pollution in order to give the residents of Gabès and public authorities solutions and means for action to live in a healthy environment.

Find out more about PGE-Gabès

Consult the project briefDiscover the website of PGE-Gabès