The Analysis of Risk and Likelihood of Bioterrorism Attacks on Urban Water Infrastructure

Abstract

Access to safe and sustainable water is one of the most urgent needs of citizens in all societies, particularly large cities and metropolises, and any disruption to the functioning of water infrastructure in cities, poses immediate and serious threat to citizens' security and can become a national security issue. Terrorist acts can take many different forms and means. One of the most dangerous types of terrorism is "bioterrorism" and the use of toxic and biological substances to contaminate water supply facilities, such as water resources, treatment plants and distribution networks, which can adversely affect the health and well-being of the community and make a crisis.The results show that bioterrorism can contaminate various elements of urban water infrastructure in the supply, treatment, and transmission through lethal and pathogenic bacteria and toxins, such as anthrax, cholera, typhoid, botulinum, etc. The vulnerability and likelihood of bioterrorism attacks in each element of the water resources infrastructure were also evaluated and it was determined that there was a difference between the vulnerability. The results show the likelihood of bioterrorism attacks in different parts of the urban water infrastructure. Thus, based on the "vulnerability", among different sections of the water infrastructure, the "distribution network" of urban water is at a greater risk and based on the "likelihood of threat" the "water supply" is at a great risk.

Keywords

• security
• threat
• bioterrorism
• urban infrastructure
• water supply