Lebanon needs a plan to properly dispose of the debris of war

Residents walk past the rubble of a mosque destroyed by Israeli bombardment as they return to the southern Lebanese village of Maroun Al Ras. AFP

Lebanon’s history of reconstruction has often been defined by corruption, environmental destruction and governance failure. Each disaster that the country has experienced has been manipulated by several political elites for personal gain rather than national recovery.

The post-civil war period (1975-1990) saw reconstruction dominated by private sector elites where massive amounts of debris was dumped into the sea, reclaiming approximately 600,000 square metres of land along Beirut’s coastline. Areas like the Normandy landfill, once an uncontrolled dumping ground, were transformed into prime real estate for lucrative ventures, consolidating power among political and financial elites.

Following the 2006 war with Israel, which flattened 220 buildings in a 32-hectare neighbourhood in southern Beirut, rubble was dumped along the seafront in the Costa Brava landfill site. This site became a repository for 3 million cubic metres of debris, further contributing to environmental degradation while serving as yet another example of how crises are exploited to reclaim land for private gain.

The 2020 Beirut Port explosion, one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history, left more than 1 million tonnes of hazardous debris, much of which was dumped in an unknown location. The most recent war with Israel, from 2023 until last year, caused significant structural and environmental damage, with 100,000 housing units partially or totally destroyed.

Preliminary estimates of the amount of construction and demolition waste – or CDW – was between 50 and 100 million tonnes, according to the World Bank, spanning areas in South Lebanon, the Dahieh suburb of Beirut, Baalbek, Nabatieh and Bekaa.

Construction worker Ali Abed Fyi stands next to a damaged building in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila. Reuters

Dumping debris into land and sea causes extensive environmental damage. On land, improper waste disposal leads to soil contamination, erosion and reduced water infiltration, which increases surface runoff and degrades the surrounding landscape.

In coastal areas, dumping debris disrupts marine ecosystems, destroys habitats and contaminates water with hazardous materials such as asbestos, chemicals and heavy metals. To add to all of this, failing to recycle debris intensifies the demand for gravel and cement, accelerating quarry excavation and cement production.

This further depletes resources, destroys habitats, damages geographic landscapes and exacerbates emissions. Cement production, responsible for 8 per cent of global carbon emissions, releases substantial amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, posing significant health risks and contributing to climate change.

Failing to recycle debris intensifies the demand for gravel and cement, accelerating quarry excavation and cement production

Construction and demolition waste management is crucial for promoting sustainability and reducing the environmental footprint of construction activities. Studies show that up to 100 per cent of CDW can technically be recycled, transforming waste into valuable resources to support environmentally sustainable construction.

Materials such as recycled concrete aggregates can replace raw materials like gravel and cement, while other treated debris can be repurposed for quarry rehabilitation or road sub-base fillings. These practices are essential for reducing dependency on virgin materials and advancing circular economy principles in construction.

Lebanon has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable practices by ratifying key international climate change agreements, sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. Also, given its strategic location along the Mediterranean coast, Lebanon prioritises the protection of its marine and coastal environments. And it has established a legal framework aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and mitigating the adverse effects of construction and demolition waste.

In the aftermath of the recent war, Lebanon’s previous government devised a plan to dispose of rubble from Israeli bombings in Beirut’s southern suburbs by reclaiming coastal land. No pre-established strategy or framework was in place, and decisions were made as rapid responses.

The selection of participating entities was unclear, with certain MPs attending technical reconstruction meetings while other parliamentary representatives were absent. The Council of the South – a government-mandated body one of whose stated goals is to fund public development projects and services in southern Lebanon – was given a key role, while other similar bodies were not included. The Order of Engineers and other professional institutions were excluded, despite their technical expertise.

The Council of Ministers formalised these decisions four days later, assigning the Council of the South to assess damages in its jurisdiction, while the Higher Relief Council – which helps citizens and communities hit by natural and man-made disasters – was tasked with similar responsibilities in other affected regions.

The Union of Municipalities of Beirut’s Southern Suburbs was added to the process, though the criteria for its inclusion were not specified. Budgetary allocations were also made.

With a new government in place, the focus needs to be on implementing a few more steps for sustainable development. It needs to develop a national strategy for CDW management, ensuring proper sorting, recycling and disposal. It must also enforce penalties for illegal dumping and introduce landfill taxes to promote responsible waste management.

There needs to be greater transparency in CDW management contracts through competitive bidding and independent oversight. And local communities should be engaged in environmental decision-making and creating incentives for recycling industries.

Reforms are also necessary to address regulatory loopholes. And an independent environmental enforcement agency should be established with the power to monitor, investigate and penalise environmental violations.

Landfill taxes and recycling subsidies should be introduced to make sustainable materials more competitive. Tax breaks and customs exemptions should be provided to businesses investing in eco-friendly technologies and recycling infrastructure. Public disclosure of waste management contracts and environmental impact reports must be mandated in order to reduce corruption risks.

This is about breaking the cycle of exploitation, within which corruption and clientelism thrive. That requires a concerted effort from the government, private sector and civil society. By prioritising accountability, environmental sustainability and transparency in reconstruction, the new government has an opportunity to end this cycle.

Najat Saliba is a Member of Parliament in Lebanon

Rashad Rafeh is executive director of the Socio-Economic Institute for Development

Choucri Haddad is head of the Environmental Commission at the Beirut Bar Association