Lebanon has had its share of pollution and garbage issues laundered out on Green Prophet. There have been stories of garbage trucks dumping their loads straight into the sea, or those on Sidon’s notorious garbage mound, where local residents used to say: “It’s horrible isn’t it? You smell it before you can see it.”
The country’s largest landfill, the Naameh Landfill, receives the daily garbage and trash pick-ups from the capital Beirut and surrounding towns.
Naameh has recently been the subject of mass protests by both politicians and residents alike. A report in Beirut’s Daily Star said that large numbers of protestors, led by Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt literally blocked the roads leading to the Naameh Landfill to prevent garbage trucks from accessing it.
Jumblatt vowed to close the landfill and end the contract of the largest company hauling trash to it, Sukleen, by January 15, 2015.
As a result of the Sukleen trucks not being able to reach the landfill, garbage and trash began piling up in the streets of Beirut (see above) and other nearby locations.
The Lebanese Environment Movement, which has been involved in numerous issues affecting the country’s environment, also issued a statement that said: “The Lebanese Environment Movement deplores the lack of seriousness concerning the Lebanese landfill file.”
Whether of not the landfill is closed next year, as Jumblatt vows, a solution must be found concerning the growing size of the Naameh Landfill, and dealing with the daily amounts of garbage picked up from Beirut and surrounding locations.
Neighboring Sidon’s garbage mound, or mountain, may be undergoing a change itself, as efforts are now being made to give it an “eco makeover” by reclaiming the land and crating building projects on it.
More needs to be done, however, before either the Sidon dump or the main Naameh landfill can be turned into an eco park like neighbouring Israel is trying to do with it’s once notorious Hiriya Garbage Mountain.
More about Trash and Garbage Issues in Lebanon and other Middle East locations:
Lebanon’s Toxic Sea-side Sidon Dump Gets Eco Makeover
Garbage Trucks Dump Straight Into the Sea in Lebanon
Israel to Build Largest Middle East Recycling Plant
Cairo Sustainably Manages Garbage with Unionized Pigs and Ragpickers
Photo of protestors blocking the road to Naameh Landfill by Mohammad Azakir/The daily Star; Photo of garbage pile up in Beirut by Aljazeera
Author: Maurice Picow
Maurice Picow grew up in Oklahoma City, U.S.A., where he received a B.S. Degree in Business Administration. Following graduation, Maurice embarked on a career as a real estate broker before making the decision to move to Israel. After arriving in Israel, he came involved in the insurance agency business and later in the moving and international relocation fields. Maurice became interested in writing news and commentary articles in the late 1990’s, and now writes feature articles for the The Jerusalem Post as well as being a regular contributor to Green Prophet. He has also written a non-fiction study on Islam, a two volume adventure novel, and is completing a romance novel about a forbidden love affair. Writing topics of particular interest for Green Prophet are those dealing with global warming and climate change, as well as clean technology - particularly electric cars.
