Environmental oversight of Beirut’s new landfills

While trash has stopped accumulating in the streets of Beirut, the waste crisis has still not been completely resolved. Last March, the government agreed on reopening the Naameh landfill for two months and establishing two new landfills, one in Costa Brava south of Beirut and another in Burj Hammoud. The Naameh Landfill was briefly reopened to receive the waste that had mounted up in makeshift dumpsites since its closure last July. The government has also issued a tender for a recycling facility that serves Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

Water quality along Lebanon’s coast after the waste crisis

As the summer heat intensifies, the Lebanese flock to the country’s 225 km coastline. Unfortunately, rampant pollution all over Lebanon has had deteriorating effects in many locations. This has been exacerbated by the months-long waste crisis which lead to over 4,000 illegal dump sites throughout the country – many of which are located along the coast. A video taken by a scuba diver emerged a few months ago shows a large amount of waste at the bottom of the sea off the coast of the town of Jiye, a popular beach destination.

Source: An Nahar