Lebanon: Civil Society Weighs in on Disappointing Waste Management Legislation

Country: Lebanon
November 15, 2018
News

For decades, Lebanon has been producing more waste than it can manage. To tackle this issue, the Lebanese Parliament passed the highly-anticipated “Integrated Solid Waste Management Law” (ISWML) on September 24, 2018. However, analysis by the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies argues that the policies included in the legislation are a “far cry” from what is needed to tackle this issue. Among other flaws, it lacks strong mechanisms for environmentally friendly waste disposal that “could easily allow the adoption of less desirable solutions to solve only visible parts of the problem, while health, environmental, and economic concerns are ignored and more comprehensive solutions are sidelined.”

The approved legislation requires the formation of a government strategy within the next six months, which serves as an entry point for stakeholders to make their voices heard and to minimize the harmful effects of the waste crisis on citizens of Lebanon. Lebanese society is also examining its own independent waste-reduction initiatives. Learn how the Waste Management Coalition (WMC)—”a coalition of civil society activists, experts, non-governmental organizations, and community groups joining forces to address mis-management in the sector”—intends to engage here