The press in Lebanon | An ecological delay bomb

The war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah left behind a mountain of debris in Lebanon. Consequently, A time bomb that could have heavy consequences on the environment.

(Beirut. Similarly, Lebanon) White helmet screwed on the head, Walkie-Talkie on the belt, Cynthia Mahdi, 26, circulates in a maze of buildings under construction, the voice covered by the noise of hammers. Meanwhile, It has been a few weeks since the young director of operations of the NGO press lebanon | ecological delay offers joy. Furthermore, her team of volunteers attacked the site on rue Mamoun, in Basta, a popular district near the center of Beirut.

On October 10. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike razed an eight -story building in this district, where many residents of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut had found refuge since the intensification of the fighting. Consequently, A few weeks later, another building was targeted. Similarly, These two attacks left 22 people dead and at least 117 injured.

In the absence of a clear government plan concerning the reconstruction. Therefore, the Lebanese NGO took charge of the renovation of Mamoun Street. Meanwhile,

“We are working on 20 buildings damaged by bombing, and hope that 130 families will be able to resettle in the coming weeks,” said Cynthia. In addition, She is interrupted by a resident, wearing a black veil, who thanks the team. Furthermore, “Maryam has lost her husband. son in bombing, and since then she has found refuge in another neighborhood,” she press lebanon | ecological delay said.

War waste

Since the establishment of the ceasefire, on November 27, Lebanon literally bends under the rubble. Last December. a prior assessment of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) estimated at least 32 million tonnes the quantity of debris due to the bombing and the destruction of 269,000 housing units, or 16 % of the Lebanese housing stock. For the time being. the clearing of destroyed areas has barely started, and many experts are concerned about the environmental management of this war waste.

“The ecological consequences prolong the war beyond any ceasefire. because even after bombing, environmental scars persist,” said Antoine Kallab, associate director of the Center for Nature Conservation, at the American University of Beirut.

Since the first days of the war, the center has been asking the risks of environmental bombings and has been trying to work with the Lebanese government and municipalities on large -scale debris recycling solutions. “From a technical point of view. it is feasible; The large part of the waste is made up of concrete, and we know how to recycle it to minimize future extraction in the quarries. »»

A mountain in the sea

It is far from the first time that the country has faced mountains of debris. press lebanon | ecological delay Whether after the explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4. 2020, during the previous war with Israel, in the summer of 2006, or during the Lebanon War (1975-1990), the country never found the recipe to combine reconstruction and recycling of debris. The fault of a falling state, problems of governance, budget and corruption.

“In 2006, all the debris was thrown into the Costa Brava discharge, on the Beirut seafront. We ended up with a mountain in the sea. At that press lebanon | ecological delay time. we knew nothing, there was no transparency, “recalls Paul Abi Rached, president of the Lebanese NGO Terre Lebanon, who militates for an upstream sorting of waste.

“The plan of the previous government was to enlarge the Costa Brava discharge once again. send the embankments to all career sites in Lebanon, while this is where toxic waste like asbestos or white phosphorus infiltrate the most easily water table. It would be catastrophic. With the new duo at the head of the country. maybe we will finally move forward in a better direction, ”hopes Paul Abi Rached.

Since the election of former army chief Joseph Aoun at the head of the country last January. and the Nawaf Salam reformer as Prime Minister, expectations are great. But in this bloodless country, ravaged by the economic crisis, the needs are enormous.

press lebanon | ecological delay

The cost of reconstruction is estimated at $ 18 billion US dollars. according to estimates by the World Bank, the main lessor of the reconstruction project through a loan of $ 250 million.

“The World Bank will allocate US dollars per cubic meter of debris. but it would take 10 to ensure that it is properly treated,” explains Tammara El Zein, new Minister of the Environment, from his office in the city center of the capital.

“The ministry is in an under-effective, we only have 70 employees, against 250 before the crisis. This is a big problem. because if we do not organize ourselves, we cannot find solutions to anything, “regrets the former secretary general of the CNRS, who notably took stock of the repercussions of Israeli strikes in Lebanon between October 2023 press lebanon | ecological delay and November 2024.

“People think that in a month, a government can repair damage from 30 or 40 years. The rubble is one thing. The chaos of reconstruction is another, ”she concludes.