A man carrying empty water bottles in Beirut. (Illustrative photo by AFP)
The ministers of Finance, Yassine Jaber, and Energy and Water, Joe Saddi, signed an agreement Friday with the World Bank's regional director, Jean-Christophe Carret, for a second water supply project in Greater Beirut, valued at $257.8 million, announced the Finance Ministry's press office.
This loan was approved by the World Bank's Board of Directors on Jan. 15, 2025, according to a statement then published on the institution's website. It complements a first project, which was approved in 2010 for an amount of $370 million, for the same region and aimed to supply Beirut and Mount Lebanon with water from the Awali River. The new funding will allow "completion of major infrastructure" started under the first project, additions to the Wardanieh water treatment plant in Chouf, south of Beirut, to "improve water quality and address the expected increase in pollution at certain times of the year."
Construction of tunnels and improvement of the water network
According to the World Bank, this project aims to "increase water supply coverage for 1.8 million people living in Greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon, thus significantly reducing dependence on private tanker trucks, which are up to ten times more costly" than running water. According to the forecasts established by the institution in January 2025, "this investment in infrastructure will increase surface water supply to cover on average 70 percent of demand during the dry season, compared to only 24 percent currently."
During the signing at the Ministry of Finance in Beirut, Jaber praised the role of the World Bank, which "accelerated the signing of several loans" for Lebanon, mentioning upcoming projects for agricultural loans, social aid, technology and the creation of a reconstruction fund following the recent war in Lebanon, which lasted from October 2023 and November 2024 with Israel continuing to carry out strikes well after the Nov. 27 cease-fire. The loan signed Friday was linked to "the construction of tunnels and other works related to network improvement," according to the minister.
Regular water shortages
Carret noted that the project "supports the implementation of the water sector reform program" in Lebanon and "reflects the World Bank's continued commitment to supporting Lebanon's long-term development needs, despite the recent conflict and recurring crises."
"We hope that the Lebanese Parliament will quickly ratify this agreement so that its implementation can begin," he said.
The World Bank stated in January that Lebanon, although it benefits from one of the highest levels of rainfall in the Middle East and North Africa region, "faces regular water shortages," notably due to "the seasonal concentration of rains, the lack of surface water storage," and network maintenance issues related to successive crises. It warned against the impact of climate change on this situation, which could "halve water availability in the dry season by 2040 and intensify floods and droughts."
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
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