Heads in the sand

The frustration and humiliation are just too much. Daily trips to the roof to check water levels, often followed by a round of phone calls begging private water delivery drivers to spare 1,000 liters, have been the norm for months now for many Lebanese. That we must pay twice for a basic service the state by now should have been able to provide without interruption is the clearest indication that those in power simply do not care about the citizenry. This year’s water shortage is far worse than normal, but likely a harbinger for the future. While the Ministry of Energy and Water’s strategy is drill now and pray for rain this winter, we humbly propose a more scientific solution: monitor and manage this resource. Any successful resource planning is based on well researched, reliable data. This is not the case for Lebanon’s water sector plan. There are data deficiencies