The Litani River and its health—or lack thereof—directly impacts those Lebanese residents living near the river or buying produce irrigated by the river. The largest river in Lebanon, the Litani River Basin (LRB) is equivalent to 20 percent of Lebanon’s land area and winds through the Bekaa Valley and south Lebanon. In April 2018, the…
Despite new efforts to tackle pollution in the Litani River, challenges remain
Lebanon’s new electricity plan adopted in the dark
The Council of Ministers approved a new electricity policy paper on April 8. Although this was a long-awaited reform, the Lebanese were expecting better governance and more transparency, especially in view of the commitments made at CEDRE. However, the government already seems to be falling short on its promises of reform, with no development of…
Focusing on scale-ups in Lebanon
Scale-ups—startups with success and growth potential—can help economies more than other types of SMEs, and providing them with the right kind of support to succeed would take comparatively little effort but garner a large impact, according to a joint 2018 report by global consultancy firm Strategy& and entrepreneurship non-profit Endeavor, which was revealed at an…
AUB aims to support local NGOs, at a cost
Civil society in Lebanon has a long history of activity, stepping in where the government has been unable to attend to the needs of its citizens, mobilizing into organizations aimed at providing these services. However, just how active the sector is has proven hard to measure, and thus enhance. Even the exact number of registered…
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health issues decree on reimbursement for palliative care
When H.S. was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer she made it clear to everyone around her that she was going to put up a fight. She had surgeries, took chemotherapy, and continued to manage her home and business as if nothing had changed. I met her two years into her illness during her last hospitalization. She…
Internet copyright laws
As the growth of a few digital giants with base in the United States and state intrusion into the online world have reached dimensions that were unimaginable just a decade ago, some critics speak of ‘surveillance capitalism’ as the new form of dictatorship. In the middle of the uncertainty about our digital future, lawmakers are…
The upcycling trend begins to take hold in Lebanon
“From trash to treasure” is the mantra often cited by upcyclers, or those who use would-be waste to create something new. Upcycling endeavors in Lebanon have multiplied in the last two years with entrepreneurs using materials such as plastic bags, old newspapers and magazines, and cloth to make products such as jewelry, bags, and decorations.…
McKinsey’s agriculture plan
When the conclusions of the $1.4 million McKinsey Lebanon Economic Vision first came to light, social media feeds were flooded with videos praising the consultancy firm’s magical solutions to the country’s economic woes: avocado and cannabis. Many even began to imagine a Lebanon on its way to becoming an avocado toast and cannabis-infused-water-pipe millennials’ paradise.…
McKinsey’s tourism vision for Lebanon
Tourism is one of the most promising sectors as a driver of economic growth in Lebanon, and so was an essential part of McKinsey’s Lebanon Economic Vision (LEV). The management consultancy’s report—presented in the form of a 1274 slide-long powerpoint presentation—dedicated around 120 slides to the tourism sector. How was this vision developed, and does…
How can Lebanon compete in tourism?
Dubai is ranked the fourth most-visited city in the world according to the Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index 2018. New attractions and experiences have contributed to Dubai’s success, bulwarked by a comprehensive marketing strategy. Campaigns promoting Dubai tourism showcase the city as a safe and exciting destination for travelers. Dubai’s marketing plan is primarily accomplished…
The potential for year-long sustainable tourism around Lebanon’s rivers and lakes
Following a particularly long winter that included snowfalls as late as mid-April, Lebanon has truly come alive this spring. The lush greenery dotted with colorful wildflowers, the swarm of bright butterflies, and the gushing rivers and serene lakes all make visitors to these areas pop out their phone cameras far too frequently in an attempt…
Developing year-long tourism in Lebanon
The tourism industry has long been touted as a main contributor to GDP in Lebanon’s services-oriented economy, but it endured an almost four-year long downturn following the onset of the war in Syria in 2012 and the Arab Gulf countries’ travel advisories against Lebanon that have been issued on and off since mid-that year. The…
Freshwater sites need to be protected and promoted
Various stakeholders—from the current and previous ministers of tourism and heads of hospitality-related syndicates to restaurant operators and local retail business owners—have all said that tourism was a main driver of the Lebanese economy. Speaking at a March conference on tourism entitled “Towards Sustainable Tourism,” Prime Minister Hariri said he believed that the total contribution…
Trust in nature
The government’s latest push toward reforms has uncovered just how incompetent our political class truly are. It almost makes you wish they had not even started. Before, the Lebanese had hope that one day their politicians would be backed into a corner and forced to make the necessary changes for the good of the country.…
Fighting harassment at work in Lebanon
The need to adopt a legal framework to tackle harassment in the workplace in Lebanon has been garnering more space in the public debate during the last couple of months, especially after the success of the almost global #MeToo campaign. In fact, many in the labor sector—especially women and transgender persons, who are verbally or…