The Tunisian city of Gabès broke its silence once again in October 2025, with thousands of citizens taking to the streets to protest repeated gas leaks from units of the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT). The environmental crisis caused by the leaks also caused dozens of children to be hospitalized because of respiratory distress. A general strike was also declared by the Tunisian General Labor Union in response, paralyzing the city’s economic activities. The protesters raised a simple slogan: “Gabès wants to live.”

Markets, and coffee shops were closed, transportation was halted, and thousands gathered outside government offices. The demonstrators demanded the immediate implementation of the 2017 decision and accountability for those responsible for the environmental disaster.

For the first time since the protests reached their peak, Tunisian President Kais Saied reacted, describing the situation as “environmental assassination”, and calling for “comprehensive and immediate reform.” Moreover, a government delegation visited the city for on-site inspection. Yet, residents remained skeptical, having witnessed similar visits and unfulfilled promises in the past.

Official statements were accompanied by a different reality on the ground. As demonstrations expanded into city neighborhoods and the industrial zone, authorities deployed large numbers of police and National Guard units around the entrances of the chemical complex and local administrative buildings. Security forces used tear gas to disperse protesters who tried to approach the factory gates. Dozens of activists and students were arrested on charges of “obstructing public services.”

According to eyewitnesses, government forces resorted to violence in certain neighborhoods, carrying out night raids and detaining young participants temporarily, while several demonstrators suffered from suffocation due to gas inhalation.

Human rights organizations condemned what they described as “excessive use of force” and lack of dialogue. The Tunisian Human Rights League issued a statement calling the authorities’ response “disproportionate to the peaceful nature of the marches” and demanded respect for the right to protest guaranteed by the Constitution.

Simultaneously, the capital, Tunis, witnessed a solidarity demonstration with hundreds of environmental activists and students raising banners demanding “national environmental justice” and the activation of suspended relocation decisions. This new dynamic indicated the transition of the issue from a local grievance to a national symbol of Tunisia’s environmental governance crisis.

What led to the uprising in Gabès?

From the dream of industrialization to the legacy of pollution

The origins of the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT) are in the establishment of the SIAPE (Industrial Company for Phosphoric Acid and Fertilizers) in 1947. This was within the vision to build an industrial base focused on transforming raw phosphate into phosphoric derivatives and fertilizers for export. The project was one of the pillars of post-independence economic policy and was viewed as a symbol of industrial sovereignty and national development.

However, from the outset, the focus was placed on production and profitability rather than environmental or social standards. The coastal location of Gabès was chosen for its proximity to seaports for export purposes. No considerations were made regarding the possible impact of chemical waste on the Gulf of Gabès, which was then one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the Mediterranean.

Technical reports from 2017 indicate that the complex dumps between 14,000 and 15,000 tons of phosphogypsum per day into the sea or in open landfills near the shore. These materials contain heavy metals and radioactive elements such as uranium and cadmium, which in turn lead to soil and coastal water degradation, and a decline in marine life. Local fishermen have also reported a significant decrease in fish stocks, and the shrinking of seagrass beds that form the foundation of the marine food chain.

A 2021 report described the Gabès complex as a “ticking time bomb,” noting that pollution had reached levels that threaten the continuity of life in the region. It further cited residents’ complaints about the spread of respiratory and skin diseases and rising cancer rates, although no official studies have systematically linked these phenomena to industrial emissions.

Closure and relocation decisions: a history of unfulfilled promises

The situation of the Gabès chemical complex has been examined by successive governmental and parliamentary committees since the 1980s. In 1985, a national committee proposed “reorganizing industrial activity in the south” and relocating some polluting units away from residential areas, but the proposal was never implemented, attributing that to “high transportation costs and the difficulty of finding an immediate operational alternative.”

Two decades later, particularly in 2006, the issue resurfaced following increasing local protests. The Ministry of Environment at the time recommended a comprehensive environmental impact assessment and the establishment of treatment stations for phosphogypsum instead of discharging it into the sea. Part of these recommendations was implemented, but treatment remained limited, and marine dumping continued on a large scale.

The year 2017, however, marked a turning point after the government officially announced its decision to relocate the polluting units from Gabès to a new site in the Matouia area and to build a modern industrial complex with improved environmental standards. The decision came after a powerful public pressure, and a national committee was formed to oversee implementation. Nonetheless, the project soon stalled due to funding shortages and bureaucratic conflicts between the Ministries of Industry and Environment, while no funds were allocated in the state budget. By 2020, the Ministry of Industry formally admitted that the project was “frozen indefinitely,” pending external financing or investment partnerships – effectively shelving the decision.

In 2023, discussions about a plan to “rehabilitate” the existing complex instead of relocating it, came back to the fore, featuring a clear retreat from the 2017 decision. A project to improve processing and emission systems was unveiled, but without a clear timeline. Environmental activists viewed this reversal as an implicit abandonment of the state’s commitments to Gabès residents.

The succession of an announced closure and then an announced relocation is an accurate reflection of Tunisia’s environmental management dilemma, where growing public anger is responded to by insufficient executive will. Each political decision remained suspended due to many factors:

Short-term economic prioritiesFiscal constraintsAdministrative fragmentationLack of transparency regarding the true social and environmental costs of pollution

Deterioration in public health and local economy

The health effects of pollution have become palpable. Local medical reports have revealed rising rates of respiratory and asthma-related diseases, especially among children and women. During the marches and demonstrations, residents alleged out that more than 60% of the population had experienced recurrent health problems they believe are linked to air quality.

At the same time, vital sectors that once provided the region’s main sources of livelihood have seen a decline. Fishermen speak of a sharp drop in catches and changes in fish species, while oasis agriculture has suffered due to groundwater contamination and increased salinity. Tourism – which municipalities have tried to revive in recent years – has also declined due to the region’s poor environmental reputation.

The environmental governance dilemma and Tunisia’s development vision

Experts agree that Tunisia has a relatively advanced legal framework for environmental protection, including the 1988 Environment Protection Law and its commitments under international climate and biodiversity agreements. Yet failure also lies in weak implementation and fragmented responsibilities.

In the case of Gabès, the chemical complex falls under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry, while environmental monitoring is the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment, and regional authorities have only an advisory role. This overlap has made it difficult to identify accountability during crises.

In addition, the lack of financial and human resources within the National Agency for Environmental Protection (ANPE) hampers regular field monitoring. Environmental data – such as emission levels and air quality – remain inaccessible to the public, fueling distrust and weakening institutional credibility.

Environmental economics specialists say the crisis is not impossible to overcome. However, the government needs to commit to transparency and accountability – publishing environmental data, conducting independent health studies, and clarifying legal and administrative responsibilities. There would also industrial restructuring toward clean technology, by establishing phosphogypsum treatment units to convert waste into building materials and launching programs to rehabilitate the Gulf of Gabès with the participation of residents and municipalities.

Preliminary estimates of the rehabilitation of the Gulf of Gabès are over 300 million Tunisian dinars, yet it remains lower than the ongoing social and health costs of persistent pollution. These projects could be financed through reallocating part of phosphate export revenues and international environmental transition grants.

Activists also call for the creation of an independent national authority for environmental justice, composed of experts and civil society representatives, to monitor emissions and oversee policy implementation – strengthening both transparency and accountability.

What happens in Gabès in the coming years will largely determine the future of Tunisia’s environmental policy – either a continuation of unchecked accumulation without accountability, or a gradual transition toward more transparent, responsible governance that places human life and the environment at the heart of development.

The post From Gabès to Sfax: industrial pollution in Tunisia between deferred decisions and accumulated crises appeared first on Peoples Dispatch.

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