The Cost of Environmental Degradation in Lebanon for 2023 report, issued by the World Bank in August 2024, estimates that environmental degradation cost Lebanon approximately US$2 billion, equivalent to 10.9% of its GDP in 2023. This marks a sharp increase from previous assessments (3.2% in 2005 and 4.4% in 2018), primarily due to Lebanon’s economic collapse, currency devaluation, and the compounded pressure from a growing population including 1.5 million displaced Syrians. Water pollution was the largest contributor (US$722.5 million), followed by air pollution (US$632.3 million), solid waste (US$273.3 million), land degradation (US$249.2 million), and coastal zone damage (US$84.6 million). The displaced population accounted for 30% of total environmental degradation costs.
The report highlights key causes of degradation including the reliance on private diesel generators, untreated wastewater discharge, open waste burning, rampant quarrying, and forest fires. It provides priority actions per sector, such as rehabilitating wastewater infrastructure, enforcing waste laws, reviving air quality monitoring, and promoting integrated coastal management. It also stresses the need for international support to manage services for displaced communities and recommends strengthening urban planning, environmental governance, and sustainable land and water use practices.