Leyla Özay
Technical sectretary
The Ministry of Environment, responsible for the waste sector, is formulating a national Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy informed by a SESA. The MoE has requested the advice from the NCEA on this study.
Significant details
The waste sector in Lebanon has not been performing well for a substantial number of years which culminated in a severe nation-wide waste crisis in 2015. Since then, many initiatives have been undertaken to address the problem but a structural and a systematic solution is still to be put in place. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment, who is responsible for the waste sector formulated a national Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy informed by a SESA. The MoE has requested the advice from the NCEA on this study.
The NCEA concludes that the study follows the necessary steps, contains key elements of a SESA and presents valuable information for planning. There are also gaps in the way certain topics are addressed such as the impacts on coastal and marine areas, hazardous wastes and climate change. The NCEA also notes that the SESA could provide more guidance for future SESAs and ESIAs for sub-plans and projects in the waste sector. After the NCEAs advice, the SESA has been updated and will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for decision making.