Lebanon has always boasted an exceptional water wealth. However, the water sector is currently facing real dilemmas at many levels. Water pollution that hit the rivers, the seas, the springs and the underground wells is the gravest of these dilemmas. But, how will the situation be like with the “demise of the century” that Lebanon passes through? And has Lebanon reached a point of no return in this issue?
Over decades, the Lebanese state, through its ministries and institutions, has failed to manage the water sector issue and address the issue of wastewater. Water pollution has become a real threat to the environment, citizens’ health, agricultural production, water and food security. In this context, the researcher in aquatic environment, Dr. Kamal Saleem says: “Lebanon suffers from pollution hitting its various water sources. This issue is caused by various factors emanating from the mismanagement of this sector. This is primarily related to the failure to address wastewater, which is considered the primary and gravest cause of water pollution. Many towns and villages rely on rivers and valleys in dumping their domestic wastewater, which causes ground water and springs to be polluted, in addition to industrial waste of course”. Dr Saleem goes on to say “At some point there were some main refineries on Litani River and the only station operating was that of Zahle region. However, it is inoperative today because of the expiry of the contract with the operating company, and the government’s lack of the capabilities to operate it again”. This is an expressive example of the agonies of this sector.Estimates on the quality of water in Lebanon indicate that “65% of the total domestic wastewater generated is discharged into the sea through 53 outflow points along the coast”.
While the value of investments in the wastewater section has surpassed 1.4 billion Dollars in the last two decades, recent figures of wastewater production in Lebanon, according to Dr Saleem, reached 310 million cubic meters per annum. This quantity is divided as follows: 250 million cubic meters of domestic wastewater, and around another 60 million cubic meters of industrial wastewater.
On the other hand, founder and president of “Terre Liban” (the land association) Paul Abi Rahsed says that the only solution for the problem of water pollution lies in the construction of refineries across all Lebanese regions. He emphasized the importance of encouraging the construction of small wastewater refineries that can be operated by simple technologies.
An Insoluble Environmental Situation for the Water of Lebanon
Scenes of dead fish, as well as lakes, rivers and seas polluted by rubbish and wastewater, industrial waste and chemical waste, have become a daily routine for the Lebanese people.The report of the National Council for Scientific Research issued in 2021 under the title “the Environmental Situation of the Lebanese Beach” reflected the existing reality of the status of the Lebanese beaches. The report shows that around a third of the Lebanese coast is polluted and unsuitable for swimming. There are 24 sea sites that are suitable for swimming out of 36 from which samples were taken along the Lebanese coast throughout this year. The report also found out that 8 of these sites are polluted to the point that renders swimming impossible and four classified under the category “cautious” to “unsafe”, bearing in mind that 7 of the sampled sites were considerably polluted with fecal bacteria, and are by no means suitable for swimming or fishing.
Regarding the reality of water pollution in Lebanon, Dr Saleem says that it is wrong to generalize that all the water in Lebanon or 90% of it is polluted. He mentioned the importance of monitoring and continuous follow up to ascertain that. He added: “some rivers are in good condition. They are not considerably polluted in comparison with other rivers, like the Damour and Orontes rivers for example. In the northern region of Lebanon, pollution appears to stretch from the middle of rivers up to their estuaries in the sea”. According to Dr Saleem, this pollution is due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture, insecticides, domestic wastewater, and some light industries.
Abi Rashed draws attention to the fact that solid waste dumps produce an extract that is very harmful to surface and ground water in the event of its leakage. He adds: “there are also quarries, crushers, and sand stores that play a significant role in the process of surface and ground water pollution”. Water produced by the manufacturing process is polluted by large amounts of stone powder, chemical effluents and fluid waste, which leads to the pollution of surface water and poses a threat of pollution to ground water.
It is also worth noting that “Terre Liban” had already criticized the updated water strategic campaign issued by the Ministry of Energy and Water in June 2020. The association has correspondingly launched an appeal to activate a sustainable water strategy in Lebanon (2020-2030). The campaign’s alternative strategy was focused on the maintenance and operation of refineries, rationing of irrigation, protection of rivers and springs against pollution, strict application of the water law, accountability of offenders and polluters by the enforcement of deterrent laws, imposing a tax on owners of underground wells, closing all violating wells that affect public water, freezing projects that don’t take environment into account, and the protection of existing forests and Lebanese high mountain that form the ice reservoir and origin of water going underground.. along with the launching of intensive awareness campaigns to rationalize water consumption and reduce the usage of chemicals and pollutants.
The Plight of Litani River and Al-Karoun Lake
The crisis of Litani River, which is supposed to be the vein of irrigation, economy and life, constitutes a “painful “example of what Lebanon suffers from with regard to the mismanagement of its water resources. Wastewater and industrial waste of around 300 factories are discharged directly into it untreated, in addition to rubbish of course. As a result, this river has become an actual curse for around 1.5 million people residing on its banks or in the vicinity. Litani River receives around 45 million cubic meters of untreated wastewater daily from 69 towns situated on the upper basin of Litani River. The report issued this year by the national authority of Litani states that more than 1000 acres of the agricultural lands in Beqaa Valley, are directly irrigated by the water and tributaries of Litani River. Litani authority has always warned about the river water not meeting criteria set for irrigating plants.Therefore, it is no wonder that the towns close to Litani River register a big increase of cancer cases in contrast with the rate in Lebanon as a whole, according to the last report issued by the National Authority of Litani River. Dr Saleem believes that it is normal that the rate of cancer diseases is the highest in Beqaa areas like Bar Elias and Haouch Er Rafqa.
Because of the pollution in Litani River, as well as other factors, Al-Qaroun lake, located in Western Beqaa, has become a source of wastewater and rubbish. Wastewater quantities top 60 million cubic meters. Pollutants and the untreatable cancerogenic blue bacteria (Cyanobacteria), sweep Al-Qaroun lake. It is to be noted that the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture has banned fishing in the lake since 2018. In this context, Dr Saleem says that it is difficult to get rid of pollution in stagnant water, in contrast with flowing water. This is the case of Al-Qaroun lake which has become badly and dangerously polluted.
Food Safety in Danger
Inasmuch as water pollution inflicts a huge detriment on plants, it is normal for the plants and specially fine leafy greens to get polluted by the water irrigating them. The decision issued by the Qatari Health Ministry in November 2021 to prevent importing some Lebanese greens like mint, parsley, coriander, melaleuca, thyme, Mulukhyia (Corchorus olitorius) comes as the latest repercussion of the series of greens pollution. This decision was attributed to finding a high percentage of pesticide residues, E. coli bacteria and lead repeatedly in many of the analyzed samples. Dr Saleem notes that the Beqaa region is highly focused upon because most of the plants come from this region. In addition to that is the wheat that is irrigated either by the polluted river which turned black, or by the underground water around which several question marks are raised. He goes on to say: “The big danger here lies in the microbiological aspect. Vegetables and plants absorb these microbes and dangerous minerals like nickel and lead, etc. We find them in plants as an inevitable result of soil pollution which is an outcome of river water pollution, eventually reaching humans through the food chain”. The impact of this is not limited hereto but, according to Dr. Saleem, reaches out to Beqaa residents, and those living in close proximity to the river in particular, breathing in foul odours and emissions which have a devastating effect on health, causing thereby respiratory and dermatological diseases and heart related problems.Where Are we Now?
The environmental crisis is aggravating year -on- year. Dr Saleem admits that the picture today is gloomy more than ever. He asserts that everything is almost stalled during this difficult stage Lebanon is passing through. The state lacks the financial potential, while it was proved that it failed to manage this sector and implement its strategy which remained mere ink on paper. Furthermore, foreign aids to construct and operate wastewater refineries are not available.Dr Saleem also explains how our rivers originate from high mountains and rapidly pour out into the coast. This is due to the flowing rapidity which, according to him, plays a very significant role in the process of self-cleaning of the rivers and watercourses. This self-cleaning process can flush out bacteria that is detrimental to the water and consequently eliminate existing pollutants. He stresses that this is only possible through stopping external pollutants pouring out into water. These, more often than not, are phosphate and nitrate which come from farming, industry, wastewater sewers and other. He concludes by saying: “if we were able to put an end to this pollution, then, with self-cleaning, rivers and watercourses have the chance of restoring their ecological nature. There won’t be a radical solution to the pollution problem in Litani River and other water sources without wastewater and industrial refineries and stop violations against them through strict implementing of the rules”.
Water wealth in Lebanon faces an imminent threat represented in water pollution, the repercussions of which aggravate with the aggravation of its accumulations. It seems that the Lebanese state keeps on squandering this wealth. While the Lebanese water is submerged in a pollution that besieges it, its food, water and health security are certainly endangered as a result of this reality which unquestionably warrants declaring a state of water emergency.
November 2022