A state of denial

  Since the late 1990s, the state of Lebanon’s environment has been stagnant at best,” said president of environmental charity Greenline Ali Darwish, who has been on the frontline of Lebanon’s eco-battle for some 17 years. “In terms of waste, water resources, energy use and green space, we are actually going backward. Perhaps the only ‘good’ news is that Lebanon isn’t different from most countries. Especially since the 2008 crisis, the environment is a non-issue.” His is a bleak picture, but May Jurdi, professor of environmental health at the American University of Beirut (AUB), could not agree more. “In Lebanon, we face a total lack of vision and strategy,” she said. “That’s why it is so important to introduce a proper monitoring system. Without monitoring there is no data. Without data it is impossible to take measures. However, in developing countries such as Lebanon politicians shy away from monitoring. It