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Terror-Related Wastewater Pollution in the North-African Region

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2025.5.4.408

Keywords:

North Africa, wastewater, environmental terrorism, pollution, threats

Abstract

The initial focus of our research was a recently published article that examined the potential for wastewater treatment systems to be vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The findings of the present study have prompted the continuation of research on a regional basis, with the aim of analysing the threats to water reuse in North Africa. In the present analysis, the objective was to summarise the results by means of database processing and by searching for relevant sources in English and Arabic. While wastewater treatment facilities do not constitute the primary objectives of terrorist organisations, research on attacks and databases indicate that these facilities are becoming increasingly significant to terrorists and terrorist organisations. Furthermore, scientific findings suggest that such attacks are becoming more prevalent. It is evident that the perpetrators of these attacks are not exclusively affiliated with organised groups; on occasion, individuals also perpetrate such acts. In certain instances, these events constitute direct attacks against sewage treatment facilities, while in others, the impact is indirect, affecting the broader sewage system. The most notable cases are presented in the results section. The authors' conclusions indicate that the significance of wastewater treatment plants and equipment has increased in recent decades in the context of terrorist activities. This assertion is substantiated by the databases and scientific literature analysed.

Author Biographies

Gábor Szűcs, PhD student, Doctoral School on Safety and Security Sciences, Óbuda University

Gábor Szűcs is a doctoral student at the Doctoral School of Security and Safety Sciences of Óbuda University. His research interests include the safety and security protection of wastewater systems as critical infrastructure. For more than ten years he has been working as a project manager in wastewater infrastructure development projects funded by the European Union. During his work, he has participated in several field visits and his observations there have inspired him to focus his PhD research on the safety engineering of wastewater treatment plants and systems. After successfully completing his doctoral studies, he plans to continue researching this topic and publishing his findings.

Zsolt Szabó, Africa Research Institute, Óbuda University, Hungary

Zsolt Szabó finished his PhD at the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University. He is a researcher at the Africa Research Institute at Óbuda University, Doctoral School for Safety and Security Sciences. He graduated at Péter Pázmány Catholic University in Arabic-History major. In the last years, he has actively published articles and reviews in several journals and aims to continue his scientific work in the future. He speaks Arabic, English and Italian language, and he has learned French for one and a half year as well. He intends to become a security expert and to get acquainted with African politics as well as cultural and social issues on the continent. He would like to continue researching African security politics and security politics in the frame of the institution and in every possible way.

References

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2026-02-04

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How to Cite

Szűcs, G., & Szabó, Z. (2026). Terror-Related Wastewater Pollution in the North-African Region. Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies, 5(4), 141–151. https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2025.5.4.408

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 4 (2025): JCEEAS - Vol 5. Number 4 2025

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Copyright (c) 2026 Gábor Szűcs, Zsolt Szabó

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