Waste management in Lebanon is a significant issue anticipating cascading and spill-over effect on livelihood, environment and agriculture. North Lebanon has been experiencing population growth spurts due to humanitarian crises in neighbouring countries that contributes to the urgency of finding sustainable solutions. Adequate delivery of response measures is beyond the capacities of local authorities. Consequently, waste crisis has reached its historical peaks. It is unlikely that upcoming years can bring radical shifts related to the trends in rapidly increasing waste generation. However, the seemingly uncontrollable mechanisms should not lead to inaction, but concentrated efforts should be stepped up to eliminate harmful consequences.

The project “Rehabilitation and waste management of El-Bared Canal Irrigation System to reduce source-to-sea pollution and improve livelihoods in the Akkar Region of Lebanon”, financed by the Government of Norway, has been formulated to ensure minimal discharges of waste from El-Bared System to the Mediterranean Sea, thus improving the livelihoods of the people depending on the system through irrigation canal system rehabilitation, solid waste disposal, and improved agricultural output and job creation. Applying a pilot approach, the project mainly focuses on Akkar irrigation scheme to introduce both hard investment and soft measures in response to the waste crisis. Following a multi-criteria assessment approach, the current report maps waste removal technologies and provides recommendations on their functions and suitability in the context of the target area. Based on broader understanding of the feasibility, it helps come to a decision on technology selection.