Gabès between the demand for a decent life, the authorities' disregard, and the West's indifference
News:
The Tunisian authorities have begun searching for solutions to dismantle the chemical complex in the governorate of Gabès, reduce the environmental pollution suffered by the population for decades, and at the same time maintain the thousands of job opportunities provided by this industrial facility that the state needs for its economic value and financial revenues. In this context, the Tunisian Ministry of Equipment and Housing announced on Sunday the start of discussions with China regarding a project to rehabilitate the production units of the chemical complex, treat emissions from it, eliminate its causes, and put an end to environmental pollution in the region.
On the other hand, the people of Gabès are preparing to go out, on Sunday evening, in a popular march to demand a halt to the gaseous emissions and pollutants issued by the units of the chemical complex in the city, and to defend their right to a healthy and safe environment. (Al-Arabiya)
Comment:
The Gabès chemical complex produces and exports phosphate derivatives and fertilizers, and the state considers it one of the most prominent industrial institutions in Tunisia, and an active contributor to providing hard currency, as well as providing thousands of job opportunities. But on the other hand, this complex has caused and is causing a major environmental disaster that threatens the lives of humans, animals and plants.
The Gabès oasis, which was considered a green paradise of palm trees and fruit trees, has turned into a semi-arid region after the natural water sources dried up. On the coast, the Gulf of Gabès, which was once a fish incubator in the Mediterranean, has become a near-dead zone environmentally. Local fishermen confirm that 90% of the fish stock has disappeared due to the dumping of about 13,000 tons of phosphogypsum waste into the sea daily, which has led to the suffocation of the seabed and its deprivation of oxygen, and thus to a decline in fishing and the migration of many sailors to other cities such as Sfax.
A study published by the European Commission in 2018 showed that more than 95 percent of air pollution in Gabès is caused by the chemical complex, as hundreds of tons of polluting gases are released annually, affecting more than 180,000 residents of the state.
Despite the daily popular protests that have erupted in recent days, the authority in Tunisia is not dealing with the situation, despite its seriousness, in a serious and urgent manner, as if it does not consider it a matter of life or death. Here it is starting talks and searching for solutions with China, and God knows the outcome of these talks! Likewise, it is confronting these protests, and the message it is sending is that the people do not have the right to demand a decent life. Human rights and judicial sources have reported the arrest of dozens of protesters during demonstrations in Gabès against a chemical industry complex that residents hold responsible for pollution and the deteriorating health situation in the city.
It is also worth noting that the phosphate used in European agriculture, which is mainly intended to feed the soil with phosphorus, nitrogen, calcium and aluminum, comes in a large part from Tunisia, which until 2010 ranked fifth globally in phosphate production and its exports represented 10% of the country's total exports. France, for example, has worked to close the companies that were converting phosphate in its country since 2004 due to the pollution it caused, while it does not mind importing these materials from other companies as long as they do not pose a threat to its country!
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut-Tahrir
Nadhir bin Saleh – Tunisia Province
