Publications

Economic growth has fuelled in Lebanon in 2006-2010 and reached over 8%. However, this expansion has by no means taken into account sustainability. Economic development involves the process of improving resources use and increasing wealth, regardless if all resources in the future get depleted; while sustainable development involves ways of improving wealth, by preserving the environment, so that natural resources might still ensure the possibility of wealth for humanity for a long time. This difference indicates that sustainability practices tend to be viewed as inhibitors to economic development. Taking the easy option, since early 1990s, the successive Lebanese governments have strictly been focusing on economic development while totally ignoring the challenges imposed for sustainability. Among the emerging challenges that lie between the paths of economic development and sustainability, Lebanon have seen a worrying deterioration in the context of energy, water, land, air, and other environmental resources. This paper provides an overview of the recent efforts to take sustainability into account in policy making in Lebanon. The paper discusses the obstacles to move in that direction. The paper discusses the Rio+20 conferences, or “Earth Summit 2012” which is the third international conference on sustainable development aiming at reconciling the economic and environmental goals of the global community including Lebanon. The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has been working with participants from the government, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on drafting the plans and requirements to attain sustainable development in Lebanon. Over the last 2 years, Lebanon has been involved in developing plans, draft policies and strategies, however, the recent political conditions and governmental policies have delayed its aspiration towards sustainable development.