Water for the Lebanese people

Lebanon has been in the throes of a severe water crisis for years. The causes are various: climate change has resulted in less rain and snowfall which causes springs to dry up. There is a lack of storage infrastructure, while the water supply system is outdated as investments have been delayed for decades. The arrival of large numbers of Syrian refugees has also increased demand. Apart from numerous Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon, the country took in more than 1.5 million people fleeing the war in Syria. The country's population now stands at about six million.

Even before the Beirut port explosion in 2020, the country had been crippled by a serious political and economic crisis since 2019. There was a sharp drop in the value of the Lebanese currency which lost more than 98% of its value against the US dollar. The crash is continuing at a dizzying rate and has had dramatic consequences. Soaring inflation results in extensive job losses and exacerbates the vulnerability of the Lebanese population as well as the refugees. The chaotic situation has led to a power shortage which impacts all vital sectors of the country, especially the water supply system.

The unsustainable use of water resources, poor sewage disposal and problems in water treatment have reduced the availability of drinking water. Tensions, both within the Lebanese population and between locals and refugees, are rising. Just 36% of the population has access to the public water supply system.

The SDC supports a project by the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) to improve sanitation facilities for refugees in informal settlements as well as in institutions and schools. "They built toilets in our camp to reduce the risk of infection and diseases," says a happy Syrian refugee who lives in Akkar Governate in the northern part of the country.

Sanitation facilities have been repaired in ten public schools with almost 3,000 pupils in Akkar and in the governates of Baalbek-Hermel and Bekaa. "Maintaining the school facilities has become a big challenge during the current crisis. Without support from the LRC, we would not have been able to repair the toilets for girls and boys," says the principal of a school in Akkar Governate. The school buildings have also been equipped with waste bins for solid waste.

"Awareness programmes on recycling and waste segregation as well as washing hands and personal hygiene have also been conducted for the pupils," says Michelle Jalkh, national programme officer, water and sanitation at the Swiss Cooperation Office in Lebanon. Families of the pupils in the camps also took part in the hygiene awareness workshops.

The LRC also extended its support to the host communities by providing the municipal bodies and water pumping station operators with solar panels. This has reduced dependence on fossil fuels and guaranteed continuous supply. "The pumping systems only work during daylight and are operated for up to eight hours. During this time, families can fill their tanks with the supplied water which is available directly at their homes," says Jalkh. "In this way, the households have sufficient water for their daily needs and personal hygiene."

The SDC also directly implements another project to reduce conflict over resources and promote peace between communities whereby it supports the management and operation of the Bekka Water Establishment (BWE). About one million people, including 376,000 refugees, live in the Bekaa Valley. Over 50 pumping stations and 12 storage reservoirs have been repaired and automated to ensure access to drinking water and enhance the BWE's efficiency. Switzerland has also supplied the solar panels. “Thanks to the support, six villages with 52,000 residents have now permanent access to drinking water,” says Khalil Azar, BWE head of department.

A lab to monitor the water quality has also been established. The recorded data allows for quick intervention in case of problems. "Twenty-five technicians have been trained in waste water treatment processes and 12 in chlorination," says Jalkh. Both are critically important because of diseases such as cholera which are transmitted by water. Last year’s cholera outbreak was a testimony for the current water crisis in Lebanon.