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Lebanon, a small country in the Middle East, is facing a growing environmental crisis that threatens its ecosystems, its economy and the health of its citizens. Although this challenge is global, it is particularly acute for Lebanon, a country already weakened by political, economic and social crises. The consequences of the environmental crisis in Lebanon are multiple: pollution, land degradation, water shortage, waste managementet climate change. These environmental issues, associated with failing governance, seriously compromise the national sovereignty and the resilience of the country.
Pollution: a scourge for the Lebanese
One of the major environmental problems facing Lebanon is the air pollution and waters. Air pollution, particularly in the capital Beirut, is reaching alarming levels, often well above government recommendations.World Health Organization. Emissions from cars, industries and power plants unregulated contribute to the deterioration of air qualityleading to serious health risks for the population, particularly people suffering from respiratory diseases.
Furthermore, the water pollution is a recurring problem in Lebanon. THE rivers and the lacs are contaminated by industrial waste, chemicals and oil spills. L’water treatment infrastructure in Lebanon is aging and inefficient, leading to a poor management of water resourcesa vital good in an arid region. Water pollution has devastating effects on public health, causing infectious diseases and water-borne illnesses, particularly among vulnerable populations.
Waste management: a major challenge for governance
Waste management is another major challenge for Lebanon. The country is facing a crisis of solid waste for several years, exacerbated by inappropriate management, a lack of adequate infrastructure and corruption endemic. THE open dumps are omnipresent in many regions, particularly around Beirut, and constitute a danger to public health and the environment.
The Lebanese authorities have tried to implement solutions, but the establishment of a sustainable waste management is hampered by political obstacles and lack of funding. The system of recycling is very underdeveloped and represents only a small fraction of overall waste management, which aggravates pollution and the problem of uncontrolled landfills. This situation illustrates the failure of governance environment in Lebanon, which prevents any systemic and effective approach to ecological issues.
Climate change and its impacts on Lebanon
Lebanon is also particularly vulnerable to climate changewith increasing temperatures and reduction in rainfall in agricultural areas. This development will have dramatic repercussions on the production agricole of the country, already affected by decades of poor management of agricultural land and unsustainable agricultural practices. The drought and the fires are becoming more and more common, threatening food security and reducing fresh water reserves necessary for the population.
THE mountainous regions of Lebanon, which rely heavily on snow to supply their water resources, are experiencing a reduction in snow cover, which reduces the volume of water tanks. THE Lebanese farmersalready facing a serious economic crisis, are facing crop losses due to extreme heat and water shortages.
The Lebanese government’s response to the environmental crisis
Lebanon has ratified several international agreements on the climate and the environment, but national response remains insufficient given the scale of the crisis. The country suffers from a lack of coherent environmental policyand efforts to establish a ecological reform are often blocked by corruptionlack of funding and clientelist policy which dominates the Lebanese political landscape. THE investments in ecological infrastructure and the implementation of sustainable policies are hampered by internal divisions and political priorities which often relegate environmental issues to the background.
Lebanon does not have a ministry of environment sufficiently powerful or independent institution capable of coordinating large-scale environmental initiatives. This makes it difficult to implement reforms needed to resolve the water, waste and climate change crises. International cooperation and partnerships with NGOs environmental are essential, but the internal governance needs to be improved to enable effective implementation.
The urgency of environmental reform
Lebanon finds itself at a critical moment in its history, where the inability to resolve the environmental problems could lead to a sovereignty crisis and to a loss of national resilience. The country will not be able to recover from its economic and political crises without a national effort to protect your environment et strengthen sustainability of its natural resources. THE ecological reforms must be an absolute priority to guarantee a viable future for future generations.
THE Lebanese citizensparticularly those of rural communities et agriculturalplay an important role in raising awareness of environmental protection. The emergence of ecological movements in civil society can be a source of hope, but it is urgent that the Lebanese government put in place a integrated environmental policy which includes solutions for waste managementthe protection of water resourcesthe pollution reduction and adaptation to climate change.
Lebanon faces a colossal environmental challenge which requires an immediate, coordinated and effective response. The implementation of ecological reforms and sustainable management of natural resources are essential to preserve the sovereignty of the country and guarantee national resilience facing future crises. Lebanon must reconcile its development ambitions with environmental imperatives to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for its citizens.
References :
- Universalis, “Lebanon and the environmental crisis”, universalis.fr
- IRIS, “Ecological challenges in Lebanon”, iris-france.org
- Le Monde Diplomatique, “Environmental crisis in Lebanon”, mondediplomatique.fr
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