Lebanon’s water sector faces several challenges: The worst drought since 40 years (2013-2014); increasing water demand driven by population growth), rapid urbanization, agricultural activities, and water pollution.

Northern Lebanon is one of the country’s most deprived regions, with severe poverty levels, high numbers of refugees and some of the worst unemployment rates in the country.

Water infrastructure such as supply and sanitation systems, solid waste management and municipal services are overstressed. In addition the water management is further weakened by lack of data collection and poor sharing of information among engaged institutions.

Improved performance and enhanced capacity of regional water management institutions leading to more effective planning and management of water resources and better water outcomes to end users.

The project directly targets the NLWE and therewith aims at benefitting all water users falling under the NLWE coverage, a population of approximately 1.2 Mio, including 300’000 deprived Lebanese,   250,000 registered Syrian refugees, 70,000 Palestine refugees.

Outcome 1: The provision of effective means to monitor water resources in the North Lebanon Water Establishment, thus support its institutional decision-making and resources planning for IWRM, and develop its capacity to raise institutional performance.

Outcome 2: The provision of effective mechanisms to enable data sharing amongst stakeholders and informed decisions transfer to end-users.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

Outcome 1:

• Output 1: Real time monitoring at key locations
• Output 2: Established water quality monitoring at key locations within a pilot watershed
• Output 3: Water Establishment/Watershed Prototype Monitoring System is developed, management authorities empowered, and their capacity is enhanced to operate the system - including preparation of a business plan to operate the monitoring system
• Output 4: Water accounting tool implemented

Outcome 2:

• Output 5: Informed decisions transferred to end-users to improve capacity for enhanced crop water productivity
• Output 6: Scaled-up approach through stakeholder platforms and data-sharing

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

The choice of the North Lebanon Water Establishment (NLWE) has been determined based on the following criteria: water availability, level of irrigation development, water quality status, scope for institutional capacity building, and scalability. The rapid assessment had been mandated and financed by Switzerland

A rapid economic and social impact assessment developed by the World Bank indicates that the water supply and sanitation systems in Lebanon must now meet an additional estimated water demand that is equivalent to 7 percent of the pre-crisis demand.

The Swiss Cooperation Office in Lebanon (SCO) is currently partnering with another regional water establishment in the Bekaa valley, gaining valuable insight on the many challenges faced by these key regional institutions.

• United National Strategic Framework UNSF (2017-2020)
• Water Intelligence for the Near East (WIN) UNESCO-IHE
• Lebanese Crisis Response Plan 2017-2020
• National water strategy 2012
• FAO’s national programme of work in Lebanon – Country Programme Framework (CPF)
• Lebanese Red Cross WASH project in the Informal refugee settlements of Akkar North Lebanon (planned)

Phase 1 01.07.2017 - 31.05.2022   (Completed)