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Environment & Sustainability Guide · Lebanon

Environment & Sustainability Guide in Lebanon

Air quality, green spaces, and environmental policies

Lebanon faces severe environmental challenges including high air pollution from diesel generators and waste burning, water contamination, and inadequate waste management, exacerbated by economic crisis and conflict. Climate change has increased extreme weather events, with a net zero target by 2050 but limited implementation. Pollution index scores 89.6% in 2025, ranking among world's worst.

Air Quality Index

0510

Poor

3.5/10

Stable trend

Lebanon ranks among the world's most polluted countries with a 2025 Pollution Index of 89.6%, driven by diesel generator emissions, aging vehicles, open waste burning, and industrial activity. Air pollution increases risks of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Database shows stable AQI trend.

Water Quality

0510

Poor

4.0/10

Water quality is poor due to open waste dumping into rivers and sea, contaminating coastal ecosystems and groundwater. Economic collapse has weakened treatment infrastructure and monitoring. Access to safe drinking water remains limited in many areas amid ongoing crisis.

Drinking water often requires treatment; pollution from waste and industrial sources poses health risks.

Recycling System

Lebanon lacks a unified national waste management strategy nearly a decade after the 2015 garbage crisis. Trash is dumped in open landfills, burned, or discarded into water bodies. No comprehensive recycling infrastructure exists; database shows N/A recycling rate.

Green Spaces

Forest coverage in Lebanon is approximately 13%, with ongoing annual changes noted but limited protection amid economic challenges. Protected areas exist but suffer from underfunding and encroachment due to crisis.

Forest Coverage: 13.0%

National parks and reserves face threats from waste dumping and urban expansion.

Environmental Policies

Environmental protection is weak due to slashed municipal budgets, underfunded agencies, and political paralysis. Lebanon has committed to net zero emissions by 2050 with some annual reporting, but detailed plans are incomplete.

Key Policies:

•Net zero target by 2050
•Limited waste management strategy

Renewable Energy: Net zero by 2050 covering CO2 and other GHGs, with incomplete detailed plans.

Natural Disaster Risk

HIGH

Lebanon faces high risks from earthquakes, floods, storms, and wildfires, compounded by conflict damage estimated at $14B in 2025. Recent extreme weather events have caused significant losses over the past decade.

earthquakesfloodsstormswildfires

Climate Change Impacts: Climate change has led to a decade of losses from extreme weather events including increased floods, storms, heatwaves, and droughts. Precipitation patterns are shifting with more intense events; coastal areas experience sea level rise impacts. Temperature increases observed over 1970-2025 period per official statistics, with rising frequency of disasters.

Sustainability Initiatives

Renewable Energy

Lebanon has set a net zero emissions target by 2050 covering CO2 and other GHGs, with annual reporting mechanism and plans for carbon removal, though detailed implementation remains incomplete.

Waste Management

Ongoing efforts to address the 2015 garbage crisis persist, but no unified national strategy exists; open dumping and burning continue due to economic constraints.

Climate Adaptation

Long-term low emission development strategy addresses climate impacts including extreme weather losses over the past decade.

Wildlife & Nature

Loggerhead TurtleVulnerable

Monk SealEndangered

Syrian SerinVulnerable

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