Case Study In Lebanon Research Articles

The promises and pitfalls of disaster aid platforms: a case study of Lebanon’s 3RF

PurposeUsing critical disaster studies and state theory, we assess the disaster aid platform named Lebanon Reconstruction, Reform and Recovery Framework (3RF) that was put in place by international donors in the aftermath of the Beirut Port Blast in August 2020, in order to examine the effectiveness of its inclusive decision-making architecture, as well as its institutional building and legislative reform efforts.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the case study approaach and relies on two original data sets compiled by authors, using desk reviews of academic literature and secondary data, in addition to 24 semi-structured expert interviews and participant observation for two years.FindingsThe aid platform appears innovative, participatory and effectively functioning toward recovery and reform. However, in practice, the government dismisses CSOs, undermines reforms and dodges state building, whereas the 3RF is structured in incoherent ways and operates according to conflicting logics, generating inertia and pitfalls that hinder effective participatory governance, prevent institutional building, and delay the making of projects.Research limitations/implicationsThe research contributes to critical scholarship as it addresses an important research gap concerning disaster aid platforms’ institutional design and governance that are under-studied in critical disaster studies and political studies. It also highlights the need for critical disaster studies to engage with state theory and vice-versa.Practical implicationsThe research contributes to evaluations of disaster recovery processes and outcomes. It highlights the limits of disaster aid platforms’ claims for participatory decision-making, institutional-building and reforms.Originality/valueThe paper amplifies critical disaster studies, through the reflexive analysis of a case-study of an aid platform.

Accurate Height Determination in Uneven Terrains with Integration of Global Navigation Satellite System Technology and Geometric Levelling: A Case Study in Lebanon

The technology for determining a point’s coordinates on the earth’s surface using the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is becoming the norm along with ground-based methods. In this case, determining coordinates does not cause any particular difficulties. However, to identify normal heights using this technology with a given accuracy, special research is required. The fact is that satellite determinations of geodetic heights (h) over an ellipsoid surface differ from ground-based measurements of normal height (HN) over a quasi-geoid surface by a certain value called quasi-geoid height or height anomaly (ζ). In relation to determining heights of a certain territory, the concept of geoid height (N) is usually operated when dealing with a geoid model. In this work, geodetic and normal heights are determined for five control points in three different regions in Lebanon, where measurements are carried out using GNSS technology and geometric levelling. The obtained quasi-geoid heights are compared with geoid heights derived from the global Earth model EGM2008. The results obtained showed that, in the absence of gravimetric data, the combination of global Earth model data, geometric levelling for selected areas, and satellite determinations allows for the creation of a highly accurate altitude network for mountainous areas.

Assessing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus in Smart Irrigation: A Potato Farming Case Study in Lebanon

Assessing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus in Smart Irrigation: A Potato Farming Case Study in Lebanon

Unity through separation: spatial divisions and intra-movement relations in Lebanon’s October Uprising

ABSTRACT Within the field of social movement studies, scholars have devoted increasing attention to how protesters reclaim and organize public spaces. Case studies reveal that protesters often split up larger reclaimed spaces by drawing internal, sometimes invisible, boundaries. So far, however, the subdivision of protest spaces remains an under-theorized phenomenon. Through a case study of Lebanon’s 2019 October Uprising, this article contributes to disentangling how spatial subdivisions emerge and shape relations between protesters. The study relies on fieldwork observations and interviews with 51 protesters from Lebanon’s second-largest city, Tripoli, where the protest space was divided into three main zones, reflecting social, ideological, and tactical fault lines in the city’s uprising. By employing Löw’s concepts of spacing and synthesis, it analyzes how Tripoli’s protesters came to associate these three zones with diverging identities, ideologies, and tactical orientations, while also connecting them together as functional parts of the larger movement. Although the separation of Tripoli’s protest space did not alleviate disagreements and conflicts, the article finds that subdivisions facilitated a thin form of order and helped protesters make sense of their internal differences.

Evaluating the influence of old and new rental systems on the physical condition of historic mixed-use buildings: a case study of Lebanon

This article investigates the link between the physical condition of built heritage and official local authorities’ legislation in Lebanon. The research analyzed the impact of occupation on the physical condition of dwellings under the prevailing official inherited rental legislation, identifying the scale of the problem and the factors leading to it. The responsibilities of the Lebanese official bodies for rental legislation regarding historical buildings were thoroughly discussed. Moreover, a field survey for the condition of historical dwellings was conducted. To accomplish its objectives, the study employed a three-stage methodology. The first stage involved reviewing archival records, current legislation, and relevant literature to gain a comprehensive understanding of historical dwellings laws and regulations in Lebanon. The second stage was divided into two parts. First, the case study area of the Yacob Al Labban historical square in Tripoli, Lebanon, was selected and justified. This area was examined to understand the impact of local authorities’ legislation and rental regulations on the physical condition of its historical dwellings. Second, a field survey was conducted to gather specific information on building typology, physical condition, and building defects. This data will help establish a connection between legislation and buildings’ physical conditions. In the third stage, the findings were analyzed, interpreted, and compared with the existing literature to draw meaningful conclusions about the relationship between legislation and the condition of historical buildings in Lebanon. The research results revealed a strong relationship between the deterioration of historical dwellings and rental legislation. Additionally, the study found that low rental fees were directly associated with a lack of maintenance across all types of rentals.

How to transform urban institutional green spaces into Ancillary Botanic Gardens to expand informal botanical learning opportunities in cities

Since many cities lack botanical gardens, we introduced the concept of Ancillary Botanic Gardens (ABG), which builds on the premise that organizations can expand informal botanical learning by adding a secondary function to their institutional green spaces. This study guides the application of the ABG concept in various spatial and functional contexts by offering practical and interpretive tools to organizations who are less used to working with nature but are interested in mitigating urban residents’ detachment from nature. Online maps of 220 botanic gardens were reviewed to define types of plant collections and produce an exhaustive list of physical botanic garden elements. The collected information was developed into an ABG field checklist that was tested on three case studies in Lebanon and then used to develop guidelines for ABG establishment. The guidelines and checklist are meant to empower and guide organizations interested in establishing an ABG.

Socio-political and organizational influences on national infectious disease surveillance for refugees: A qualitative case study in Lebanon.

Infectious disease surveillance provides actionable information on displaced populations and helps identify outbreaks. Though not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Lebanon has experienced large refugee influxes (e.g. Palestinians in 1948, Syrians in 2011), yet information on socio-political and organizational influences shaping surveillance targeting refugees is limited. We thus aimed to examine how Lebanese socio-politics affected infectious disease surveillance for refugees in Lebanon. We conducted a qualitative multimethod single case study of government engagement with refugee infectious disease surveillance (2011-2018) drawing from document analysis, semi-structured observations, and semi-structured key informant interviews at four surveillance sites in Lebanon. We analysed data thematically, using deductive and inductive coding. National politics delayed government and thus its epidemiological surveillance program's (ESU) engagement with refugee disease surveillance, largely due to Lebanon not being a 1951 Refugee Convention signatory and internal policy disagreements. Thus, it was initially difficult for the ESU to lead surveillance activities, though it later became more active. The ESU was limited by unclear reporting mechanisms and resources and its reliance on aggregated surveillance data prevented provision of data-informed responses. Though the ESU led surveillance nationally, and we identified positive provincial level collaborations due to individual efforts, some partners still conducted parallel surveillance. We found no systematic approach to infectious disease surveillance for refugees. The ESU could improve surveillance for refugees by collaborative strategic planning with partners for preparedness, surveillance, reporting, and sustainable resource allocation during refugee crises. Further suggestions include collecting disaggregated data, and piloting potentially more efficient syndromic surveillance, based on symptom clusters, for refugee populations.

Evidence synthesis to policy: development and implementation of an impact-oriented approach from the Eastern Mediterranean Region

BackgroundDespite the importance of evidence syntheses in informing policymaking, their production and use remain limited in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR). There is a lack of empirical research on approaches to promote and use policy-relevant evidence syntheses to inform policymaking processes in the EMR.ObjectiveThis study sought to describe the development of an impact-oriented approach to link evidence synthesis to policy, and its implementation through selected case studies in Lebanon, a middle-income country in the EMR.MethodsThis study followed a multifaceted and iterative process that included (i) a review of the literature, (ii) input from international experts in evidence synthesis and evidence-informed health policymaking, and (iii) application in a real-world setting (implementation). We describe four selected case studies of implementation. Surveys were used to assess policy briefs, deliberative dialogues, and post-dialogue activities. Additionally, Kingdon’s stream theory was adopted to further explain how and why the selected policy issues rose to the decision agenda.ResultsThe approach incorporates three interrelated phases: (1) priority setting, (2) evidence synthesis, and (3) uptake. Policy-relevant priorities are generated through formal priority setting exercises, direct requests by policymakers and stakeholders, or a focusing event. Identified priorities are translated into focused questions that can be addressed via evidence synthesis (phase 1). Next, a scoping of the literature is conducted to identify existing evidence syntheses addressing the question of interest. Unless the team identifies relevant, up-to-date and high-quality evidence syntheses, it proceeds to conducting SRs addressing the priority questions of interest (phase 2). Next, the team prepares knowledge translation products (e.g., policy briefs) for undertaking knowledge uptake activities, followed by monitoring and evaluation (phase 3). There are two prerequisites to the application of the approach: enhancing contextual awareness and capacity strengthening. The four case studies illustrate how evidence produced from the suites of activities was used to inform health policies and practices.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to describe both the development and implementation of an approach to link evidence synthesis to policy in the EMR. We believe the approach will be useful for researchers, knowledge translation platforms, governments, and funders seeking to promote evidence-informed policymaking and practice.

The Need for a Proper Waste Management Plan for the Construction Industry: A Case Study in Lebanon

The construction industry is known as one of the biggest generators of solid waste. Considering this, attention needs to be paid to construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Lebanon has experienced many situations that have increased the generation of C&D waste. Therefore, it is essential to manage C&D waste. This research aims to assess and analyse the importance of waste management plans and their impact on the generation of construction and demolition waste in Lebanon. For this purpose, an extensive literature review has been carried out, and a questionnaire survey consisting of five sections has been developed. Factors were ranked by using 5-point Likert scales. Additionally, four optional open-ended questions were also included in the survey for qualitative data collection. A survey questionnaire was sent to 80 Lebanese experts, and 50 questionnaires were returned. Most of the responses (i.e., consultants and academics) were from the private sector; results showed that respondents to this survey were biased for their expertise. Reliability and ranking analysis were performed on the collected data. It was found that “site management and supervision-related factors” are the main sources of C&D waste. The main barrier to implement 3R was the “lack of awareness and knowledge”, and the most critical success factor was “waste management regulations”. There is lack of data on construction waste in Lebanon. Therefore, there is a need to conduct research on construction waste management in Lebanon, which is the subject of the current investigation. This research is expected to generate benefits for the construction industry in Lebanon and the surrounding region.

The Effect of Using I-STEM Modules on Primary Level Learners’ Critical Thinking: A Case Study in Lebanon

STEM is the acronyms of Sciences Technology Engineering and Mathematics that teachers been using in their classroom since long ago. Recently, the focus is to revamp and bring STEM in classes to build learners’ skills. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect i-STEM program in enhancing learners’ critical thinking skills by applying methods and techniques adopted from one disciplines into another in order to solve an assigned problem relevant to learners’ life. The research methodology for this study followed both paradigm, the qualitative and quantitative. This was needed for a better understanding of the situation due to the lack of studies on this topic. Questionnaire, Project rubric, reflection tool and interview were done to collect data. The relatability and validity of the tools has been ensured. The study has been conducted in one private school in Beirut, Lebanon, on grade 5 learners, N=117. The intervention duration lasted 6 months from January until June. 8-Steps i-STEM thinking process was used in the classroom to facilitate the integration of i-STEM. Results showed a significant improvement of learners’ critical thinking after implementing i-STEM.

Road‐testing child protection typologies: A case study in Lebanon

AbstractOver the past three decades a small number of influential writers have bravely attempted to develop theoretical models for understanding and comparing the complex development of child protection systems across different countries. The foremost frameworks have compared the dynamics of child protection arrangements in high‐income countries, with little attention being given to middle‐ and low‐income countries and, more specifically, the MENA region. This paper presents Lebanon's child protection model and highlights factors that have led to its unique development in the last 20 years. It contends that Lebanon's child protection system is pluralistic in nature, with responsibilities for the ultimate safety and wellbeing of children diffused among a variety of stakeholders. As a relatively new domain of practice for the state, the protection of children in Lebanon has become implicated in the ever‐present national debates regarding the correct balance of authority between state, religion and citizen. A parallel system of decision‐making exists with a state‐run system struggling to find its place alongside customary religious courts unlikely to relinquish their power over family affairs. Through an examination of Lebanon, the paper aims to further road test the most recent typology and address its applicability to one Middle East country.

A New Normalized Groundwater Age-Based Index for Quantitative Evaluation of the Vulnerability to Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers: Implications for Management and Risk Assessments

The vulnerability of coastal aquifers to seawater intrusion has been largely relying on data-driven indexing approaches despite their shortcomings to depict the complex processes of groundwater flow and mass transport under variable velocity conditions. This paper introduces a modelling-based alternative technique relying on a normalized saltwater age vulnerability index post-processed from results of a variable density flow simulation. This distributed index is obtained from the steady-state distribution of the salinity and a restriction of the mean groundwater age to a mean saltwater age distribution. This approach provides a novel way to shift from the concentration space into a vulnerability assessment space to evaluate the threats to coastal aquifers. The method requires only a sequential numerical solution of two steady state sets of equations. Several variants of the hypothetical Henry problem and a case study in Lebanon are selected for demonstration. Results highlight this approach ability to rank, compare, and validate different scenarios for coastal water resources management. A novel concept of zero-vulnerability line/surface delineating the coastal area threatened by seawater intrusion has shown to be relevant for optimal management of coastal aquifers and risk assessments. Hence, this work provides a new tool to sustainably manage and protect coastal groundwater resources.

Transportation towards Tourism Sustainability: Case Study of Lebanon

Sustainable tourism considers economic, social, and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities. Additionally, sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders and strong political leadership to ensure participation and consensus building. Nevertheless, maintaining sustainable tourism is necessary to encourage a high level of tourist satisfaction and to be able to ensure a new experience for them, while raising their awareness and promoting sustainable tourism practices. This research aims to study the sustainability of transportation in Lebanon in its broadest scope. This will be done by exploring the problems and solutions that can improve the transportation sector. Due to the lack of sustainable transportation, this research could help fill gaps to improve Lebanon's transportation sector. The study relied on qualitative method, through the utilization of Questionnaires for both residents and visitors and an expert in the field targeted through an Interview. The main findings presented in this paper have shown problems and solutions to Lebanon's transportation sector and the relation between transportation and tourism sustainability. Keywords: sustainability, transportation, tourism, Lebanon

Consumer preferences for hybrid and electric vehicles and deployment of the charging infrastructure: A case study of Lebanon

This case study investigates consumer preferences and stakeholders’ interests regarding hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) in the Greater Beirut Area (GBA) in Lebanon where the market for these vehicle types is still nascent. A mixed logit model incorporating financial and technical attributes of common mid-size Internal Combustion Engines (ICE), HEVs, and EVs is estimated then used to compute Willingness to Pay (WTP) measures and evaluate the effectiveness of different monetary incentives in promoting these vehicle types. The study also uses qualitative research methods to capture the perspectives of different stakeholders regarding electric mobility in Lebanon. Data collected in 2018 through a stated preference survey reveals a WTP for a 100-km increase in driving range equal to 705 $ and for a 1 $ reduction in driving costs per 100 km equal to 305 $, values that are generally lower than several values found in the literature. A policy testing exercise suggests that doubling fuel taxes could increase the potential market shares of HEVs and EVs from 9.25% to 9.59% and from 4.98% to 5.84%, respectively. The provision of charging incentives to consumers could raise the market share of EVs up to 6.96%. A combination of both policies could further increase the proportion of EVs to 7.22%. In parallel, a stakeholder analysis draws attention to a multitude of challenges regarding the HEVs and EVs uptake as well as the public charging infrastructure rollout, namely excessive delays in establishing the enabling institutional and regulatory environment and shortcomings in the electricity supply. This research shows that it is more likely for HEVs than EVs to take off in the short term and that a solid transition to electric mobility in Lebanon necessitates further planning, especially in terms of instituting a clear and effective incentives scheme.

Economic Improvement of Power Factor Correction: A Case Study

Power factor (PF) is simply an expression of energy efficiency, which is always expressed in terms of percentage. Technically, PF is a ratio of real power in Kilowatts to the apparent power, which is always expressed in kilovolts amperes. In AC power analysis, power is always expressed in three ways, the real power (P), reactive power (Q), and the apparent power (S). The real power is the work useful power, while the reactive power is the wasted power in the 3-phase AC system, and the apparent power is the vectorial sum of the two powers. The increase of reactive power will reduce the presence of real power, thus making the power to be more expensive. In this paper, we will analyze the importance of improving the power factor by applying a bank of capacitors to a case study in Lebanon. Analysis of the economic improvement in the application of power factor correction is carried out. The result shows a reduction of 12 percent in the total cost.

Surface water resource and effect of weather parameters in estimating the annual rainfall: A case study in Lebanon

The quality and quantity of freshwater resources are continually decreasing in the world. The objective of this paper is to review the literature on the water resource with a focus on the surface water, quality of surface water in terms of physical and chemical properties in different locations in Lebanon. Moreover, one of the most important sources influencing the surface water is rainfall. Forecasting rainfall is one of the most essential issues in the hydrological cycle. It is very challenging because is still not possible to develop an ideal model given the uncertainty and unexpected variation. In the present study, prediction models using artificial neural networks (ANN) and multiple linear regressions (MLR) are developed to estimate the annual rainfall as a function of weather parameters and geographical coordinates. The annual data used in this study are recorded in 1942 locations in Lebanon. The latitude, longitude, and altitude of the location, global solar radiation, average temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity are used as the input variables and annual rainfall is estimated as the output variable. The measured values are compared versus those predicted by the ANN and MLR models by evaluating R-squared and Root mean squared error.

Water resources and rainfall distribution function: a case study in Lebanon

Water resources and rainfall distribution function: a case study in Lebanon

Conceptual clustering of university graduate students' trajectories using formal concept analysis: a case study in Lebanon

Conceptual clustering of university graduate students' trajectories using formal concept analysis: a case study in Lebanon

Conceptual Clustering of University Graduate Students’ Trajectories Using Formal Concept Analysis: a Case Study in Lebanon

Due to the weak academic advising systems in most schools, students need assistance to explore universities/colleges and study fields that match their interests and future careers. Unfortunately, the orientation programs in most schools are not well designed to cater to students' varied needs. While career orientation programs are much needed at schools, a large number of Lebanese schools have not integrated such programs in their educational systems yet. Thus, this research focuses on developing a hybrid recommender system based on machine learning techniques. Our research focuses on the implementation of the formal concept analysis (FCA) to study university graduates' trajectories. This data mining technique is applied in knowledge presentation and data processing. FCA enables the discovery of hidden knowledge by using association rule mining and machine learning. The objective of this study is to discover the university graduates' trajectories and demonstrate the effectiveness of the FCA technique in data clustering.

The governmental health policy-development process for Syrian refugees: an embedded qualitative case studies in Lebanon and Ontario

BackgroundThe unprecedented amount of resources dedicated to humanitarian aid has led many stakeholders to demand the use of reliable evidence in humanitarian aid decisions to ensure that desired impacts are achieved at acceptable costs. However, little is known about the factors that influence the use of research evidence in the policy development in humanitarian crises. We examined how research evidence was used to inform two humanitarian policies made in response to the Syrian refugee crisis.MethodsWe identified two policies as rich potential case studies to examine the use of evidence in humanitarian aid policy decision-making: Lebanon’s 2016 Health Response Strategy and Ontario’s 2016 Phase 2: Health System Action Plan, Syrian Refugees. To study each, we used an embedded qualitative case study methodology and recruited senior decision-makers, policy advisors, and healthcare providers who were involved with the development of each policy. We reviewed publicly available documents and media articles that spoke to the factors that influence the process. We used the analytic technique of explanation building to understand the factors that influence the use of research evidence in the policy-development process in crisis zones.ResultsWe interviewed eight informants working in government and six in international agencies in Lebanon, and two informants working in healthcare provider organizations and two in non-governmental organizations in Ontario, for a total of 18 key informants. Based on our interviews and documentary analysis, we identified that there was limited use of research evidence and that four broad categories of factors helped to explain the policy-development process for Syrian refugees – development of health policies without significant chance for derailment from other government bodies (Lebanon) or opposition parties (Ontario) (i.e., facing no veto points), government’s engagement with key societal actors to inform the policy-development process, the values underpinning the process, and external factors significantly influencing the policy-development process.ConclusionsThis study suggests that use of research evidence in the policy-development process for Syrian refugees was subordinate to key political factors, resulting in limited influence of research evidence in the development of both the Lebanese and Ontarian policy.