LEBANON (Enmaeya News) – October 8, 2025

Minister of Environment Dr. Tamara Elzein held a series of high-level meetings this week with World Bank (WB) delegations, in a continued effort to advance Lebanon’s environmental and economic recovery agenda.

The meetings aimed to follow up on two major national projects: the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP) and the Green Agri-Food Transformation for Economic Recovery (GATE) Project.

The Minister met with a WB delegation headed by Ms. Catherine Signe Tovey, Practice Manager at the World Bank.

Disccusions centered on the LEAP initiative, specifically addressing the operational details related to the Ministry of Environment’s (MoE) component.

This component focuses on ensuring the sustainable environmental management of debris. The meeting served as a crucial step in the preparations for the project’s approval in Parliament.

It also ensured that all implementation plans are ready to be enacted once the project is endorsed.

Dr. Elzein also met with a delegation led by Ms. Izabela Leao, Senior Agribusiness Specialist and Task Team Leader for the GATE Project, to discuss its imminent launch.

The project, already approved by both the WB and the Government, is set to begin soon.

Discussions focused on implementation mechanisms and strategically aligning the MoE’s component with the project’s broader goals to support and sustain the crucial agricultural sector.

“Our discussions focused on making certain that our national priorities, from sustainable debris management to supporting the green agricultural sector, are fully integrated into these vital international partnerships," she stated.

Dr. Elzein added that the ministry is ready to move from planning to execution as soon as the final procedural steps are completed.

The Ministry of Environment is expected to continue coordination with the World Bank in the coming period as part of preparations to implement both projects on the ground.