Strengthen our environmental protections

ENAR

As Lebanon gears up to explore for offshore oil and gas resources, it is critical that environmental protection is a front and center priority. Oil and gas development activities have high environmental risks that could impact Lebanese communities living along the coast, as well as businesses working in the fishery, tourism, and shipping sectors. To adequately protect Lebanon’s environment throughout the exploration and extraction phases, it will be necessary to revise Lebanon’s strategic environmental assessment (SEA). An SEA is a report filed according to international standards and best practices, which offers governments a comprehensive view of environmental constraints and the potential impacts of developing a resource extraction sector in their country. It is used to develop solutions to potential environmental risks, guide the development of tailored regulations of petroleum companies’ operations, and create a formal platform to engage all appropriate stakeholders, including civil society, in the process. In short, an