Municipalities in Lebanon: Understanding their history, structure, and function 

Municipal governance forms the first link between citizens and the state. In Lebanon, municipalities are key to delivering services like infrastructure maintenance, waste management, urban planning, and local development. With municipal elections scheduled to begin in early May 2025 after years of delay, attention is turning to how local governments function and the reforms needed to enhance their role. Ahead of municipal elections, a closer look at how municipal governance works (and how it doesn’t) and what voters should expect from their municipalities can give a step up to a more participatory relationship between municipal leaders and citizens.    Municipal governance in Lebanon dates back to the Ottoman Empire but expanded significantly after independence in 1943. The number of municipalities in Lebanon has increased significantly over the last few decades—from just over 700 in the late 1990s to more than 1,000 today—often due to political considerations rather than clear administrative planning.