This report is an introduction to a series of articles dedicated to describing the solid waste management problem in Lebanon. The articles content will answer respectively the following questions:
As the world races to a citified future, the quantity of municipal solid waste – which is one of the primary product produced by the urban lifestyle – is increasing at an alarming rate higher than that of civilization.
In 2012, 1.3 billion tons of solid waste was produced, which gives an average of 1.2 kilograms per capita per day. And in 2025, solid waste generation is expected to increase to 2.2 billion tons due to the rapid population expansion and urbanization.
Although this growth may present a simple challenge for countries committed to a waste management plan, however it constitutes a major impediment to countries still struggling to find a solution to the crisis.
Among these problems:
1. Increasing environmental effects and health problems
An increase in the random waste burning, open waste dumping, and insanitary lanfill which causes an increase in the enviromental effects and health problems.
2. Loosing available lands satisfying appropriate standards for waste treatment facilities
With the increase in random housing and lack of proper civil infrastructure, specially in third world countries, the number of available lands - suitable for building treatment facilities and satisfying industrial standard measures and norms (like distance to population for example) - are tremendously reduced. This begs the need to start building treatment facilities and allocating specified lands for the mentioned purpose.
3. Using extreme measures that were unacceptable and unspeakable of before:
As the problem persists, with passing time, the community is turning to more radical and drastic measures to “hide” the solid waste problem. These newborn solutions shifted the burning site closer our backyards, and the dumping sites went to deeper ends (from 1 & 2 m holes, to up to 30 and 40 meters holes).
4. Easing the concept of having waste as our “neighbors” for the current and upcoming generation
The “shock” we have today for the horrifying image of waste being dumped at close proximity and near populated streets will eventually disappear with time, as the children of today are becoming more “familiar” to living side by side with waste in their “backyard”. This will teach the upcoming generation to be more accepting to the lack of waste management plan in our country, and will kill any momentum we have to invigorate the government to provide a solution.
5. Create an irreversible damage to agricultural lands and ground waters
With increasing amount of waste being burned and dumped in an uncontrolled and insanitary manner, the carrying capacity of the ecosystem is being surpassed, which will make the damage done for both land and water unrepairable. Ground waters and agricultural lands “safe” for use will be less available, and the spread of contamination will increase exponentially.
This begs the need to takle the solid waste problem urgently, by understanding first its history, the cause of occurrence, mitigations used and the reasons for the failures of the attempts done to solve it. Finally, new solutions should be introduces first by understanding all the above, by learning for successful experience of developed countries, and finally by fine-tuning the outside solution method to fit the Lebanese case.
We provide our interested readers with some studies done on the Lebanese waste crisis to furthur their attention.