The region of Tyre and the Bekaa Valley, in southern Lebanon is approximately 50 miles south of Beirut. This rural area was badly damaged by war in the 1970/1980s. The damage to the water and sanitation infrastructure had devastating effects on the health of the local population.

Before the “Sustainable Environmental Practices Project” (SEPP), no public plan for waste treatment existed in the region and water sources were contaminated by sewage, leading to health problems. Solid waste was burned in open-air pits or buried in landfills without proper management. Waste disposal often caused inter-community conflict. This project’s overall goal is improved solid waste and waste water management policies.

SEPP conducted a comprehensive environmental education program to strengthen the capacity of municipalities and local communities. An ambitious high-visibility policy dialogue aimed at re-directing national policies on waste management from centralized approaches to locally appropriate and cost-effective technologies. YMCA also organized a roundtable discussion with government ministries, municipalities and representatives of the private sector on waste management in rural areas.

A solid waste treatment plant, which serves 56 villages with approximately 300,000 people, and nine wastewater treatment plants which serve 10 villages, were established. A three-year environmental awareness campaign targetted 10,000 students and teachers in 94 schools, 88 municipalities and communities, and 50+ NGOs; women’s groups and institutions.