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CONFIRMING THE INTERNATIONAL ROLE OF COMMUNITY
RESEARCH
SMART
Sustainable Management of Scarce Resources in the Coastal Zone
Proposal N° ICA3-2001-1003
Call Identifier: INCO-MED A3 (ICFP501A3PR02)
Region: MCP
Research Area: (d)
NCRS (Lebanon) – The proposed case study in Lebanon:
Name: Tripoli – Batroun Coastal Area
1. Physical Characteristics
The area stretches along the northern Lebanese coast covering
Tripoli City in the north, the second largest in Lebanon,
southward to the town of Batroun, i.e. about 430 km2. The
coastline length is about 30 km, and the coastal zone width
varies between 8-12 km inland. The area typifies the Lebanese
coast in consisting of a narrow plain followed inland by a series
of foothills, plateaux, then rising through steep slopes to the
coastal mountain chain. It is crossed by a river (Abou Ali)
passing in Tripoli and another minor one (El-Jawz) near
Batroun, with intermittent streams, dentritic drainage and dry
wadis. It is hot sub-humid at the coast becoming milder inland.
Precipitation essentially covers two ranges from coastline
inward, 800-950 mm, and 900-1000 mm annually, though it falls
within 3-4 months episodically and often torrential. But almost
50% of the water is lost through evaporation. Karst systems are
rather well developed, which explains both the fresh-water
springs in the marine environment and sea-water intrusion
through fractures and conduits: In the coastal area, especially
where water demand is stressing, water wells are drilled
abundantly, and yet with very loose control, further stressing
the hydro-regime.
Table 1: Physical and hydrological properties of the major Rivers in SMART region of Lebanon
No
River
Average
annual
discharge
(Mm3/year)
Length
(curved)
(km)
Area
(km2)
Relief
gradient
(m/km)
Drainage
density D
(km/km2)
Major sources of
replenishment
1
Al-Bared
River
168
37
284
25
1.05
Nabaa Essoukar and
the melting snow
2
Abou-Ali
River
369
42
482
46
1.20
Nabaa
Qadisha,Nabaa Mar
Sarkis, Nabaa
Rachaien and the
melting snow
3
El-Jouz River
82
33
196
42
0.92
Nabaa El-Jouz,
Nabaa Dalle and
the melting snow :
Tannourine, Arrez
and Niha regions
Table 3: Major issuing springs in the SMART region of Lebanon
No
Spring
Springs type
(m3/sec)
Source rock
formation
Discharge
1
El-Jouz
2.20
C4
Karstic
2
Dalle
1.93
C1-J6
Overflow
3
Qadisha
1.50
C4
Fault
4
Mar Sarkis
0.5
C4
Fault
5
Essoukkar
0.3
C3- C4
Overflow
Table 5: Major aquifers in the SMART region of Lebanon
Sannine L.st.
(C4)
(Cenomanian)
Bikfaya L.st.
(J6)
(Up.Portlandian)
Kesrouan L.st.
(J4)
(BajocianKimmeridjian)
Thin bedded to massive,
highly fractured, jointed,
chertified and well karstified
dolomitic limestone and
limestone with some thin
beds of marly limestone
Thick bedded to
massive, highly fissured
and jointed and well
karstified limestone and
dolomitic limestone
Thick bedded to
massive, fractured,
karstified dolomites and
dolomitic limestone with
marl intercalations
Piezometric Level
(m)
16.5 (fluctuated)
44 (fluctuated)
no data
Transmissivity
(m2/sec)
2.5x10-6-5.9x10-6
2.3x10-6-3.2x10-6
as J6
Aquifer
Lithology
Sea water intrusion is selectively developed in places
more than others, this is clear from the drilled wells
near El-Beddaoui, Tripoli and Enfeh. The Cenomanian
aquifer has similar characteristics regarding the salt
water intrusion in the coastal area, where structural
controls are accompanied with large pumping rates.
The Senonian, sometimes serves as a barrier layer over
the Cenomanian ; but in some localities where
fissuring and faulting are developed, it doesn’t fulfill
the aquiclude role.
2. The Natural System
A few km transect of Lebanese territory from the coast inland
can range from a coastal sub-tropical, through middle typically
Mediterranean slopes. These zonal variations account for the
wide variability of ecosystems and landscapes within a limited
area. The most serious types of dangers on the ecosystems
are flower destruction, droughts, overgrazing and urban
development. The main trees in the forest area are: Oak, Pine,
Pistachio, and Carob.
Due to the water shortage for irrigation and the urban
encroachment, citrus plantations along the shore line are
practically disappearing, while olive groves are persisting and
constituting the largest area in the country.
In plateaux, greenhouses have spread dramatically which,
because of improper control of watering, fertilizing and use of
agro-chemicals have led to soil, ground water pollution and
salinization.
It is unfortunate that neither a sewage network, nor wastewater
control, nor proper solid waste collection and/or disposal are
implemented yet. Most need upgrading, or to actually install a
service system. The major problem is the seepage of
pollutants, leachates, and chemicals into the ground water
affecting its quality. Thus, often spring water is polluted, and
water-related diseases, especially in the suburban and rural
areas, are recurrent.
3. Land Use of the Area
The major urban complex is Tripoli, with about 300000 people
in the city, which may add another 100000 from the
surroundings. It used to be a dominantly agricultural region, but
the last three decades witnessed a rapid agression of urban
construction, including some industries, recreations and power
plants at the expense of agriculture. The urban/rural interface
around Tripoli has changed dramatically with great losses in
prime land and resources. The immediate coastal foothills are
highly urbanized close to cities, but outside they are cultivated.
In the Chekka stretch and north of Batroun there are heavy
industries, phosphoric acid, asbestos tiles/pipes and cement.
This is among the highest polluted areas in Lebanon, where
quarrying, water, soil and air pollution is very noticeable.
Touristic pressure is a matter of concern in the area as it is
typical of the Region, and there is a fairly dense road network
for easy accessibility. There are many venues of significance,
both in the cities, and scattered elsewhere including
archaeological as well as scenic sites inland along the coastal
valleys. Sites include a series of castles, old religious,
monasteries, traditional Lebanese style houses, and Tripoli is
famous for its Mamelouk-era structures, mosques and old
schools. Natural sites include gorges, canyons, series of caves,
water falls and some forestry.
4. The Management System
There are many problems encountered along the area, and
they can be categorized as natural or human-made. The former
include forest fires, strong erosion during heavy rains, droughts
and some difficult inaccessible terrain with rock falls and
landslides, as well as coastal floods and relative rise in sea
level. Forest fires also occur due to human interference, as are
the more serious problems in the area. These include
unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, i.e. quarrying,
destroying scenic terrain, degrading forests, eroding soils,
blocking natural beaches, extracting sediments, polluting and
depleting water.
There are three human induced stresses in the area: chaotic
urban sprawl, improper agricultural practices, and tourism.
Uncontrolled development is in several areas threatening
natural amenities. So long as the local municipalities are rather
weak, i.e. in administrative aspects, finance plus lack of
technology, know-how and man-power, it would be difficult to
solve pollution problems due to waste water, domestic solid and
hospital wastes. With episodic soil erosion from climate
extremes and the uncontrolled human interference, siltation is
often a problem, especially with the water treatment plant, and
pollution by olive agroindustry (olive dregs).
It is unfortunate that up to this moment there are no integrated
approaches followed that would secure the most suitable
management, not to mention a sustainable one. Coordination
among the multitude of public agencies in Lebanon is lacking,
which makes it more difficult to improve quality control, and
implement relevant policies. In this regard, the “strategy of the
Environment”, i.e. at Ministry of Environment (MoE) has been
studied and proposed several times together with its policies …
but ratifying it by the Parliament is a slow process.
The lacking needed integrated approaches, and capacity
building of employees in vital sectors, i.e. water, agriculture,
land-use … are very significant. Environmental regulations are
being upgraded and homogenized, but again implementing
them is weakly controlled. Recently, EIA is being worked on by
the MoE to be introduced as a binding process for projects.
Until this is properly implemented, the environment is suffering
and affecting the quality of living.