Abstract
Abstract Lebanon has not been able to properly develop and benefit from its water sources. A confessional system of governance has hindered development of the sector. Laws and regulations have been developed erratically with many superseding others without the superseded laws being erased from the registry. This created a chaotic regulatory and legal environment with overlapping jurisdictions and no clear accountability mechanisms. The period before the onset of the civil war in 1975 witnessed significant progress of both infrastructure and laws and regulations related to the management of the water sector. The civil war destroyed the water sector infrastructure and emptied all regulatory control of the resources. The period of reconstruction between 1990 and 1999 witnessed the promulgation of ambitious reconstruction plans for the water sector with funding reliant on borrowing from local and external debtors. Post 1999, government reforms started creeping into the system but were often donor driven and still suffered from the same mistakes of laws overlain on top of existing laws without erasing the older material. Critically, the management of the sector is not inclusive and the beneficiaries of water services are often not heard and ignored.
Highlights
Lebanon has built its water sector on foundations laid down by successive civilizations such as Mesopotamia, the Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire (Gharios )
Gharios et al | What can we learn from post-war water policy reforms in Lebanon?
This paper presents a policy reform review that is focused on post-conflict governmental actions in Lebanon
Summary
Lebanon has built its water sector on foundations laid down by successive civilizations such as Mesopotamia, the Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire (Gharios ). The Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) is the main and highest authority for water management in Lebanon It prepares and sets in place general water policies and is responsible for executing projects. The only exception is the South Lebanon Water Establishment (SLWE) because the Litani River Authority (LRA) has been tasked with managing the irrigation sector, exemplifying the duplication of responsibilities within the government. After Lebanon gained independence in 1943, a General Directorate of Hydraulic and Electric Affairs was placed in the hands of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) This situation remained unchanged until 1959, when its services were separated from the MPW, and in 1966, the Ministry of Hydraulic and Electrical Resources (MHER) was established (Law 20, published by the Lebanese Parliament on 29 March 1966). The Master Plan for the Development of the Lebanese Territory (SDATL), adopted under Decree 2366 on 20 June 2009, set out rules pertaining to natural risks and the vulnerability of water resources
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