Land Policy and Environmental Justice: The Case of Publicly Owned Properties in Lebanon

Introduction Some of the most radical urban struggles we have witnessed in Lebanon arose in the face of urban projects or buildings that had not yet been implemented. These struggles were informed by people’s knowledge of these projects’ devastating environmental, social, economic and psychological consequences. It is not surprising that a lot of discussion and movements are built around future constructions and that objections to these projects and attempts to prevent them become aggressive,..

Middle Eastern Cities in a Time of Climate Crisis

The climate crisis is hitting around the world, including in the Middle East and its cities. Urban regions are exposed to increasingly frequent heat waves and floods that leave decision makers without immediate answers. In the context of this global crisis, this book addresses the need for a better understanding of the current model of urban expansion. Cities are major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but they are also celebrated for their contribution to economic growth. The current moment is one of a large paradigm shift as climate change is now recognized as a legitimate public problem. This is especially true for city dwellers, who are increasingly exposed to climate change, the loss of biodiversity and heavy pollution while natural breathing spaces continue to shrink around them. The sixteen chapters of this book do not offer any off-the-rack or technical solutions, but they analyze the urban conundrum and the contribution of cities to the climate crisis. Some chapters focus on individual car ownership, land privatization, waste management and land use changes under the guise of development. Others explore local and contextual answers to urban governance issues. With the support of CEDEJ and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, researchers, experts and civil society actors explore the ongoing transformations of Middle Eastern urban environments and mobilities and question them in relation to the climate crisis. The contributions are based on empirical knowledge gathered in the Nile Delta, the Greater Cairo Region, Riyadh and Beirut. Without concessions to mainstream thinking, this book contributes to a better understanding of urban challenges, climate threats and policy responses in contexts marked by growing environmental inequalities

Évaluation d'impact de l'explosion du port de Beyrouth: Étude multidimensionnelle des incidences socio-économiques des explosions du 4 août 2020 de Beyrouth

Ce rapport a été financé par l'Institut français du Proche-Orient. Les analyses et conclusions de ce document sont formulées sous la responsabilité de leurs auteurs. Elles ne reflètent pas nécessairement le point de vue de l'Ifpo ni de leurs institutions partenaires.Les explosions du 4 août 2020 au port de Beyrouth ont plongé le Liban dans une détresse insoutenable. Cette étude a vocation à mesurer l’impact de l’explosion en considérant le point de vue des victimes des événements du 4 août 2020. Ce travail d’évaluation vient compléter les travaux et les rapports internationaux sur la quantification des dommages et des pertes causées, en mesurant les incidences de l’explosion à l’échelle sectorielle et dans le micro-social. Ce travail se concentre donc sur les préjudices causés aux travailleurs et aux habitants, plutôt que de se limiter aux effets sur les entreprises et l’habitat. Cette étude regroupe ainsi un ensemble de recherches sur les quartiers endommagés par l’explosion, afin de mettre en commun des analyses multidimensionnelles de son impact et de réfléchir aux pistes d’action prioritaires. Les conclusions de ce rapport ont pour but d’identifier les besoins des habitants et des travailleurs dans la zone de l’explosion, dans l’optique d’établir un ordre de priorité et d’orienter les futures recherches