Solid waste management in Lebanon case study in Zahle

Abstract

Solid Waste collection and disposal services deteriorated greatly during the civil war in Lebanon. Municipal collection services deteriorated to the point where they became non-existent. Slow burning and uncontrolled dumping of municipal solid wastes with frequent intermingling of hospital and other hazardous wastes on the streets, hillsides, vacant lots, and on seashores have been the common methods practiced for solid waste disposal resulting in serious land, sea, and air pollution problems. Following the end of the war, the Government of Lebanon through the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), has launched the National Emergency Reconstruction Plan (NERP), which is a multi-sector program for the rehabilitation of the country infrastructure to overcome the deficiencies that have been resulted. Subsequently, the rehabilitation of existing solid waste management is being carried out utilizing a loan from the World Bank under SWEMP project. The project would resolve all the municipal waste management problems of Lebanon. It will put in place the basic policy, project management and physical/equipment infrastructure for sustainable waste management practices on a pilot model basis. The project would establish an integrated solid waste management system in selected municipalities with priority given to those given to those municipalities which are ready to provide a landfill site. The project components would be limited to financing improved collection and disposal of municipal waste, a model of cost recovery and providing technical and engineering assistance to CDR, MMRA, MOE, and the municipalities.