Reforms, digital transformation: Tamara Elzein reviews Environment Ministry's progress

Environment Minister Tamara Elzein gave an account Wednesday, during a press conference, of the first 100 days since taking office, listing the various initiatives implemented as part of the objective of reform and rescue.

"We have worked with an ambitious vision but without empty promises, taking into account the government's lifespan, staffing and a limited budget," Elzein said, calling for support from "international partners."

She listed the various initiatives put in place by her Ministry, ranging from structural reforms and digital transformation to the development of green public procurement policies, as well as the budget.

As part of the structural reforms, the Ministry "has begun working on a modernized structure that meets modern requirements, enhances institutional efficiency, and promotes transparency," she said. 

Elzein stated that her ministry had established the necessary analysis to move toward digital transformation, in order "to free itself from obsolete bureaucracy, speed up procedures and ensure the smoothness and transparency of operations," with the hope of completing these transformations by 2026 and seeing "the emergence of a renewed Ministry, living up to the ambitions set out."

The minister also spoke about Lebanon's international commitments, notably the signing of the High Seas Convention and the creation of a database of international environmental agreements, with the aim of assessing the country’s level of compliance.

In response to the consequences of the war between Hezbollah and Israel, Elzein recalled that her team intervened in "the assessment of the environmental impact of the conflict, ecological recovery planning, and debris management." She also stressed that other files stem from "a legacy of several decades of mismanagement and fragile planning, such as the solid waste sector, on which the Ministry is working to reform governance, funding, and management."