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Urban environmental issues in the metropolitan area of Sfax City, Tunisia: could an integrated management solve the problem?

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The major challenge facing Sfax, the second-largest city in Tunisia, is how to shift successfully and smoothly toward green and innovative sustainable development. Indeed, Sfax is traumatized by more than a half-century of irrelevant environmental choices and, at the same time, it aspires to take advantage of the national circumstances in multiple transitions, driven by a real desire to get rid of a stressful environmental heritage. Therefore, its struggle with the transition to an efficient and ecofriendly economy will not be simple. Within this context, a group of researchers from various scientific backgrounds from Sfax University have joined their efforts and went through more than 270 previously published documents over the past three decades aiming to revive the concept of environmental integration in Sfax. These scholars, although belonging to different scientific fields, succeeded in synthesizing the latest scientific works related to the region dealing with local environmental components and threats, water resources, wastewater handling, solid waste management, urban development, and infrastructure. An outcome on the current status of this modern traumatized city and an assessment of several local technological advances of the region, as well as a thorough investigation of the various dedicated reconciliation plans were drawn. Further, it was possible to sketch a double entry matrix showing the various affected zones and potential environmental risks that should be considered. Scores were assigned to the affected zones to assess the incurred danger and propose possible remedies. This paper provides a holistic view of the complex environmental systems in Sfax, and demonstrates how efforts of local, regional, and national authorities can address the environmental challenges. This review is intended to fairly highlight the environmental problems in the city, with the ultimate goal of encouraging the re-conversion of the city into a competitive and sustainable Mediterranean metropolis city, in accordance with the Barcelona Convention.

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Abbreviations

ANGED:

Agence Nationale de Gestion des Déchets

BOD5 :

Biological oxygen demand measured after 5 days

CAT:

Catalase

CBS:

Centre de Biotechnologie de Sfax

CEC:

Cation exchange capacity

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

E1:

Estrone

E2:

Estradiol

E3:

Estriol

EE2:

Ethinyl estradiol

EC:

Electrical conductivity

EDCs:

Endocrine disrupting compounds

EIA:

Environmental integrated approach

ENIS:

Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax

EOM:

Extractable organic matter

ESP:

Exchangeable sodium percentage

FTIR-ATR:

Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection

GC–MS:

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

GIZC:

Gestion Intégrée des Zones Côtières

HSP:

Heat shock proteins

L3E:

Laboratoire Eau Energie Environnement

MPs:

Microplastics

NPK Company:

Nitrogen Phosphate and Kalium Company

OMW:

Olive mill wastewater

ONAS:

Office National de l’Assainissement

PAH:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

PAU:

Urban development plan

PDU:

Master plan of urbanism

PG:

Phosphogypsum

PM10 :

Particulate matter suspended particles in the air of less than 10 μm diameter

RQ:

Risk quotient

SDGS:

Sfax distribution Générale et Services

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

SIAPE:

Société Industrielle d'Acide Phosphorique et d'Engrais

SMEs:

Small and medium-sized enterprises

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

SOx:

Sulfur oxides

SPE:

Solid phase extraction

SSH:

Société de Services des Huileries

THC:

Total hydrocarbons

TMEs:

Trace metal elements

TOC:

Total organic carbon

TSP:

Trisodium phosphate

TWW:

Treated wastewater

WWTP:

Wastewater treatment plant

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the efforts made by all the researchers from Sfax University who have contributed by their research works to highlight the environmental issues in Sfax, most of whom are cited in the reference list; Dr. Riadh Bouaziz “Laboratoire de Cartographie Géomorphologique des Milieux, des Environnements et des Dynamiques, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Sfax Université de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie” for mapping and editing (Fig. 2); and Mr. Abdelmajid Dammak for his proofreading and corrections brought to the English of the manuscript in terms of language editing.

Funding

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states they received no specific funding for this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Environmental Engineering and Eco-Technology, National School of Engineers, University of Sfax, B.P. 1173, 3038, Sfax, Tunisia

    Mohamed Ksibi, Moncef Khadhraoui, Fatma Aloulou, Imed Guargouri, Monem Kallel & Boubaker Elleuch

  2. Laboratory of Water, Energy and Environment (Lab 3E), National School of Engineers, University of Sfax, B.P. 1173, 3038, Sfax, Tunisia

    Amjad Kallel, Moncef Zairi & Hamed Ben Dhia

  3. Université de Sfax, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines-Laboratoire EEE, B.P. 553, 3000, Sfax, Tunisia

    Abdelkrim Daoud

Authors
  1. Mohamed Ksibi
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  2. Moncef Khadhraoui
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  3. Amjad Kallel
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  4. Fatma Aloulou
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  5. Imed Guargouri
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  6. Abdelkrim Daoud
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  7. Moncef Zairi
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  8. Monem Kallel
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  9. Boubaker Elleuch
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  10. Hamed Ben Dhia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Ksibi.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there are no conflicts of interest related to this work.

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Responsible Editor: Anthony Lehmann, Chief Editor.

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Ksibi, M., Khadhraoui, M., Kallel, A. et al. Urban environmental issues in the metropolitan area of Sfax City, Tunisia: could an integrated management solve the problem?. Euro-Mediterr J Environ Integr 7, 29–48 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-022-00295-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-022-00295-6

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