Significant damages incurred across Lebanon during the July 2006 war
encompassing the destruction of road networks, bridges and overpasses
as well as a vast number of dwelling units. It is anticipated that
reconstruction works after the war shall unavoidably create a newly
founded demand for natural resources, most notably primary and
secondary construction material. This paper assesses the war-related
impacts of the construction sector on the environment coupled with
recommendations for controlling and mitigating these impacts. A cost
benefit analysis of four different scenarios for supplying construction
material was conducted based on their environmental and fiscal costs as
well as their economic benefits and government returns. The Fixed Box
Model was applied to estimate air pollutants concentration. Results
indicated that the preferred alternative for the supply of cement
primarily consists of local manufacturing of 100 percent of the
required quantities. With regards to sand and aggregates, the analysis
indicated that the preferred alternatives are to either rely on local
production or import 25 percent of the required material. The predicted
average concentration of Total Suspended Particulates at the southern
suburb of Beirut site exceeded the recommended values of the Lebanese,
EU, USEPA, and WHO standards