Water resources management in Lebanon: institutional framework and policy options

Worldwide water resources are not uniformly distributed and generally scarce in arid and semi-arid zones such as the Middle East. Lebanon, which is located along the Mediterranean shores of the Middle East, remains blessed with relatively more water in comparison to its neighboring countries. Increased pressure on its water resources requires the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive management plan and strategic policies to pre-empt potential future water shortages. This paper examines existing water laws and regulations under the current institutional framework in Lebanon. Developmental policies and management strategies to address the potential water supply demand imbalance and meet future challenges are presented in the light of existing legal and regulatory constraints and institutional capacitie

Development of procedures for environmental impact assessment in Lebanon

Lebanon, a relatively small Middle Eastern country, has initiated its reconstruction and development drive after nearly 2 decades of civil unrest. Historically, the majority of planned or implemented projects were evaluated primarily on the basis of technical and economic feasibility, with little to no consideration of potential environmental impacts. However, the country's limited financial resources increased its reliance on external funds from international institutions such as the World Bank and the European Commission. As a result, environmental impact assessments were introduced as an integral part of major projects relying on international financing and assistance. Hence, international donor pressure coupled with increased public awareness led to the establishment of a Ministry of Environment in Lebanon. The newly created ministry, though limited in resources, embarked on the process of drafting an Environmental Framework Law, part of which addresses the development of environmental impact assessment procedures. In this context, the development of country-specific procedures for conducting an environmental impact assessment becomes essential. This paper presents a review and evaluation of the proposed decree for conducting environmental impact assessments in Lebanon. Assessment procedures are described, and recommendations for improving process performance and reliability are presented. Institutional capacity and limitations for efficient environmental management are also addressed

Mitigating energy-related GHG emissions through renewable energy

An inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from various economic sectors in Lebanon was conducted following the guidelines set by the World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Environment Programme Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The inventory indicated that the energy sector is the major contributor (74%) to greenhouse gas emissions. This paper describes the inventory of energy related GHG emissions and assesses mitigation options to reduce emissions from electricity generation with emphasis on the usage of renewable energy including biomass, hydropower, solar and wind resources. Policy options for overcoming barriers hindering the exploitation of renewable energy resources are discussed in the context of country-specific characteristics

Water resources in Lebanon: Characterization, water balance, and constraints

Worldwide water resources are not uniformly distributed and are generally scarce in arid and semiarid zones such as the Middle East. Lebanon, which is located along the Mediterranean shores of the Middle East, remains blessed with relatively more water in comparison with its neighbouring countries. This paper examines increased pressure on Lebanon's water resources requiring the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive management plan to meet future water demands. Water resources are described with the corresponding present and future water balance, environmental stresses, and constraints facing the water sector in Lebanon

Uncertainty in estimating and mitigating industrial related GHG emissions

Global climate change has been one of the challenging environmental concerns facing policy makers in the past decade. The characterization of the wide range of greenhouse gas emissions sources and sinks as well as their behavior in the atmosphere remains an on-going activity in many countries. Lebanon, being a signatory to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, is required to submit and regularly update a national inventory of greenhouse gas emissions sources and removals. Accordingly, an inventory of greenhouse gases from various sectors was conducted following the guidelines set by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The inventory indicated that the industrial sector contributes about 29 percent to the total greenhouse gas emissions divided between industrial processes and energy requirements at 12 and 17 percent, respectively. This paper describes major mitigation scenarios to reduce emissions from this sector based on associated technical, economic, environmental, and social characteristics. Economic ranking of these scenarios was conducted and uncertainty in emission factors used in the estimation process was emphasized. For this purpose, theoretical and experimental emission factors were used as alternatives to default factors recommended by the IPCC and the significance of resulting deviations in emission estimation is presente

Industrial waste management in developing countries: the case of Lebanon

This paper presents a critical assessment of the existing Lebanese industrial sector, namely the current status and classification of industrial establishments based on a comparative synthesis and analysis of recent nationwide surveys and studies pertaining to industrial-waste management. Characterisation of solid and liquid industrial wastes generated, including hazardous wastes, is presented together with current and projected waste loads, recycling opportunities, and export/import practices. Institutional capacity and needs pertaining to the enforcement of relevant environmental legislation, staffing and resources, monitoring schemes, and public participation are critically evaluated. Finally, realistic options for industrial-waste management in the context of country-specific institutional economic and technical limitations are outlined. The industrial sector in Lebanon consists of small-scale industries (84% employ less than 10 persons), primarily involved in light manufacturing (96%). These industries which are distributed among 41 ill-defined zones and deficient in appropriate physical infrastructure, generate solid, liquid, and hazardous waste estimated at 346 730 tons/year, 20 169 600 m3/year and between 3000 to 15 000 tons/year, respectively. Although the growth of this sector contributes significantly to the socio-economic development of the country (industry accounts for 17% of the gross domestic product), in the absence of a comprehensive environmental management plan, this expansion may not be sustained into the coming millennium. The anticipated expansion will inevitably amplify adverse environmental impacts associated with industrial activities due to rising waste volumes and improper waste handling and disposal practices. These impacts are further aggravated by a deficient institutional framework, a lack of adequate environmental laws, and lax enforcement of regulations governing industrial-waste managemen