SDG6: CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION 

The Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), also known by its acronym SDGs, are an initiative promoted by the United Nations to give continuity to the development agenda after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). There are 17 objectives and 169 targets proposed as a continuation of the MDGs, including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption and peace, and justice, among other priorities. After a negotiation process on the SDGs that involved 193 member states of the UN, on September 25, 2015, the 193 world leaders approved at a summit held in New York in a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, an Agenda entitled “Transform our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ", which entered into force on January 1, 2016.

The 17th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals encourages the creation of favorable conditions for a sustainable future through joint action by countries and local communities. In other words, SDG 17 represents the conclusion of global and local partnerships essential to achieving development, building capacities, enhancing trade exchange and mobilizing and investing financial and technological resources to improve the lives of individuals.

Any global partnership must rely on internal and external investment and innovative financing, ensuring sustainable levels of debt, building skills and competencies / enhancing access to trade, and allowing countries the freedom to set their own economic policies. The revitalization of any global partnership must also include a wide range of actors in the public and private sectors, civil society, sources of development financing, sharing of resources and knowledge, and addressing the primary issues underlying sustainable development for all.

Under the 2030 Agenda, development priorities and resources must be directed towards increasing the capacity of developing countries to mobilize domestic resources, expand economic infrastructure, improve domestic production capacities and high-quality basic social services, confront the effects of climate change, and encourage rapid economic growth that does not marginalize anyone, as well as the importance of ensuring food security and poverty eradication and encouraging the establishment of peaceful and just societies.

Since the ultimate function is to provide young people with quality education, the Lebanese University has a responsibility to focus on the importance of the SDGs in research and institutional culture, and cooperate with universities or other organizations to prepare conscious leaders in their community.

The Lebanese University works on more than a level to serve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the specialized masters’ programs, such as Master in Energy Physics (SDG 7) and Master in Economic & Development Journalism (SDGs 1, 2 & 3). In addition, the agreements concluded with local and international organizations and activities in which university students participate, serve all SDGs.

GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Lebanon has sufficient natural water resources but faces complex challenges due to uncontrolled consumption and increased pollution. The sudden increase in population due to the influx of approximately 1.5 million displaced Syrians has put further strain on the system. The Lebanese government is working on protecting and upgrading water resources, and on the completion, expansion and rehabilitation of the water and wastewater networks.  

The government is doing work to protect and upgrade water resources, and to complete, expand and rehabilitate the water and wastewater networks. only 37 percent of the population have access to safe drinking water. This is part due to deficiencies in water supply and contamination across the transmission networks, but also because of pollution at the source and unsustainable water extraction practices and uses. Untreated municipal wastewater, and some industrial and agricultural waste, is often discharged into valleys, rivers and the sea. 

In response to these challenges, Cabinet approved the National Water Sector Strategy in 2012. This aims to ‘ensure water supply, irrigation and sanitation services throughout Lebanon on a continuous basis and at optimal service levels, with a commitment to environmental, economic and social sustainability.’ It calls for increased coverage of wastewater collection networks and treatment capacities; resolved transmission and distribution problems; infrastructure for surface water storage and recharging groundwater. On the demand side, the strategy includes installing metering and volumetric charging. In April 2018, the Water Code was passed by the Lebanese Parliament. This legislation applies international agreements on water, promotes integrated water resource management and provides for delegated management to the private sector. The decrees and decisions pertaining to this law still need to be passed before it can be applied.

The Lebanese University had established at its campuses namely Hadath and Fanar campus laboratories and centers to study the quality of food and water and medicine in Lebanon, and also to study diseases, viruses and bacteria causing and illness, as well the Water, Food and Drug Quality Center in order to examine the quality of the commercial food products and water bottles sold and pharmaceutical products spread in the Lebanese market (doc 48) decision of its implementation. 

• The Lebanese University Concludes the International Conference on Converting Wastewater into Irrigation Water within the (Aquacycle) Project

The Lebanese University organized the final conference of the Aquacycle project on sustainable wastewater treatment and reuse in the Middle East, in a ceremony sponsored by the caretaker Minister of Environment, Dr. Nasser Yassin, and hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tripoli.

The ceremony was attended by the President of the Lebanese University, Dr. Bassam Badran, the Managing Director of the project, Dr. Mohamed Khalil, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tripoli, Tawfiq Daboussi, a number of deans and directors of faculties at the Lebanese University, in addition to political, municipal, social, developmental, academic and educational actors and representatives of liberal professions unions.

After the opening with the national anthem and the university anthem, Dr. Ahmed El Mel gave a brief overview of Aquacycle, then the project manager, Dr. Constantinos Plakas, spoke about its importance at the level of environmental protection in the Mediterranean basin.

Dr. Esmat Al-Karadshi, from the Eastern Mediterranean Office of the ENI CBC program, pointed to the role of the European Union in providing support for various projects related to sustainable development, announcing in this context that it has several environmental and development projects throughout Lebanon related to the rehabilitation of the salt industry and the revival of this product known as white gold in Lebanon.

In his speech to the two conferences, the President of the Lebanese University, Dr. Bassam Badran, pointed out that the university, through this vital project, supports the academic trend in finding sustainable development solutions in Lebanon and most importantly relying on the pillars of the circular economy in accordance with the directions and programs of the United Nations.

For his part, the Minister of Environment in the caretaker government, Dr. Nasser Yassin, pointed out that the issue of environmental pollution is a chronic disease in Lebanon and the reason is due to poor management, considering that pollution is uncontrolled and causes disruption in ecosystems.

Minister Yassin pointed to the need for cooperation between the public and private sectors and the joint commitment to respect laws and decrees related to respect and protection of the environment, and most importantly work to prevent and remove infringements and the need to prepare studies on environmental impact because what we see of the permissions given is contrary to the laws.

Minister Yassine focused on key issues, including working to restart the sewage plant in Tripoli and standing with municipalities and the North Lebanon Water Establishment to work together to introduce amendments to laws and reduce the environmental cost because the health cost is much higher.

The Aquacycle project brings together partners from Greece, Malta, Spain, Lebanon, Tunisia, France, Greece, Algeria and Morocco, and was implemented with financial assistance from the European Union under the Mediterranean Basin Programme (ENI CBC).

• Institute of Social Sciences (3) organizes a seminar on "Environmental Citizenship and Protection of the Local Environment"

Under the patronage and presence of the President of the Lebanese University, Dr. Bassam Badran, the Institute of Social Sciences - Third Branch organized a seminar entitled "Environmental Citizenship and Local Environmental Protection", in which the Minister of Environment in the caretaker government, Dr. Nasser Yassin, and the head of the Lebanese Green Party, Dr. Fadi Abi Allam, lectured.

The seminar was attended by the Dean of the Institute of Social Sciences, Dr. Marilyn Haidar, the Director of the Third Branch, Dr. Wadia Al-Amyouni, MP Jamil Abboud, Rawad Frangieh, representing MP Tony Frangieh, the journalist Mohamed Seif, representing the President of the Marei Association for Charitable Works, Khalil Marei, in addition to a crowd of deans, directors and professors of a number of faculties and institutes of the Lebanese University and private universities, political, municipal, social and environmental actors, students and interested parties.

The seminar began with a welcome speech by Dr. Al-Amyouni, who referred to the environmental challenges facing the North Lebanon region, noting the importance of cooperation between government agencies and academic and civil institutions to achieve positive change and maintain a clean and civilized environment in Lebanon.

For her part, Dean Haidar pointed out that we in Lebanon need to raise awareness and concerted efforts in order to protect our environment, considering that university edifices are the best place to develop this awareness.

"Let us work together to preserve our natural resources and provide a better future for future Lebanese generations, as we need a lot of efforts to save what can be saved from the environment of our beautiful country," she concluded.

After that, President Badran delivered a speech in which he thanked Minister Yassin for accepting the invitation of the Lebanese University to participate in this interactive seminar, which reflects his personal keenness to interact directly with students to spread environmental awareness, and welcomed the President of the Lebanese Green Party, Dr. Fadi Abi Allam, for his participation.

President Badran considered that the organization of such seminars by the Institute of Social Sciences reflects the role of the Lebanese University in spreading awareness among students and training them to enhance civic participation in protecting the environment and empowering them to become active, active and responsible environmental citizens.

He added: "Despite the economic and financial crisis that Lebanon is going through, the Lebanese University/National Foundation has proven that it is up to the responsibility to enshrine the principle of citizenship through the efforts of professors and employees, and this matter is not only a cause of pride for the presidency of the university, but for students, their families and society as a whole, because these efforts have resulted in citizens' confidence in the National University."

President Badran concluded by saying: "We wish success to the Institute of Social Sciences in spreading awareness of various topics of interest to society, and we rely on it to describe social problems and propose solutions to embody its national role."

After that, the symposium began with a speech by Dr. Abi Allam, in which he refuted the environmental problems facing the city of Tripoli and proposed a set of solutions to them, most notably:

• water pollution

• Waste Management

• air pollution

• Slaughterhouse

• Shrinking green spaces

• Reduced biodiversity

• Minister Yassin then stressed that environmental problems have existed in Lebanon for years, especially along the coast and in coastal cities in particular, considering that solving them requires building environmental citizenship and strong institutions.

Minister Yassin pointed out that the responsibility for improving the environmental situation is a shared responsibility between the citizen, local administrations, federations of municipalities, major municipalities, the private sector and the relevant ministries.

Minister Yassin presented a number of proposals that the Ministry of Environment is working in coordination with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and some ministries to legalize and turn them into laws in force, especially in terms of setting annual fees for the management and treatment of solid waste, which has become widespread in a number of Lebanese cities and towns.

The Minister of Environment pointed out that there is a trend to find decentralized solutions, where each area will have a sorting plant to treat its waste and a sanitary landfill for disposal by scientific and advanced methods, explaining that there is an objection that we are working to solve in dialogue with the people of Minieh and the neighborhood regarding the proposed sanitary landfill in Deir AmaR.

The symposium concluded with a dialogue between the lecturers and the participants in the symposium.

• The College of Arts and Humanities organizes a series of lectures on archaeology and climate change

The Department of Arts and Archeology at the Deanship of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities / Lebanese University is organizing a series of lectures on archeology and climate change, under the supervision of the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Heba Shendab.

On May 22, 2023, Dean Shendab opened the lectures at the Central Administration Building – Museum, welcoming Professor Louis Österbeck, Director of the Institute of Man and Memory at the Instituto Politecnico de Tomar, who gave two lectures on "Archaeology, Current Problems in University Studies and Climate Change".

• The Lebanese University registers a local patent in the field of purification of polluted water

The Lebanese University registered a patent in the field of water purification with the Ministry of Economy and Trade/Lebanon (No. 12701) under the title:

Innovative bag from waste tea contains biomaterials for water remediation system

The patent, registered with the Ministry's Intellectual Property Protection Department on December 21, 2022, concerns the use of inner and outer acacia fruit peels in an inexpensive innovative packaging to obtain a water treatment system in a hundred percent safe and natural way.

It is known that acacia was previously used to treat a number of diseases, and the peels of its fruit can be used to absorb dyes and medicine in water in a way that is free from commercial chemical products and outdated technologies.

The patent comes within the Biofilter project supported by the Ministry of Industry, and is part of the master's thesis research in water and food quality conducted by student Aseel Faisal Aqeel at the College of Public Health under the supervision of Professor Akram Hijazi and in cooperation with Professor Veronique Kuzbar.

• Student Jana Ayyash from the Lebanese University registers a local patent in the field of industrial chemistry

The student Jana Ayyash from the Higher Institute of Doctorate in Science and Technology / Lebanese University registered a patent in the field of industrial chemistry at the Ministry of Economy and Trade / Lebanon (No. 12408) under the title:

Innovative Chitosan Hydrogel from shrimp shells for biofilter system

The patent, which was registered with the Ministry's Intellectual Property Protection Department on December 21, 2021, concerns the manufacture of ketosan liquid or gel from prawn shells to be used in the manufacture of a filter capable of removing organic and mineral pollutants and forming an antibacterial in wastewater.

Ayyash is pursuing the preparation of her doctoral thesis in the field of water and environment in partnership between the Higher Institute of Doctorate in Science and Technology / Lebanese University and the French University of Reims, under the supervision of Professor Akram Hijazi from the Lebanese University and Dr. Luminita Catoire from the French University and in cooperation with Dr. Hussein Hamad (Lebanese University), Dr. Mohamed Medlej and Dr. Anis Daou.

• The Lebanese University keeps pace with the cleaning of the banks of Qaraoun in the field and scientifically and prepares an epidemiological study to show the effects of the crisis on the residents of the vicinity of the lake

The Litani River National Authority, with the support of teams from the Lebanese University, the Lebanese Army, the Lebanese Red Cross, the Big Blue Campaign and volunteers from private universities, municipalities and environmental, civil and civil associations, has completed the cleaning of the eastern bank of Lake Qaraoun of dead carp fish and continues to work to clean the West Bank of it.

The Director General of the National Authority for the Litani River, Dr. Sami Alawiyeh, pointed out that the Lebanese University represents a strong partner in this crisis on two levels: the first field and the second scientific, speaking about the role it played in mobilizing to gather volunteers and coordinating with the concerned authorities and associations to remove dead fish, as well as cooperation in the scientific research aspect and developing plans to dispose of dead fish and bury them in accordance with health and environmental conditions.

In more than one direction, the Lebanese University teams within the Crisis Intervention Unit (LU-Task Force) worked to combat the Qaraoun crisis under the direct supervision of the President of the University, Professor Fouad Ayoub.

With the first reports of the crisis, the Rapid Response Team (RCRT) headed by Dr. Hassan Salameh, Lebanese University graduate Rasha Thebian, Ms. Patricia Nasr and student Aya Mortada were activated to coordinate, prepare and supervise the fieldwork.

The team of the Faculty of Agriculture, consisting of the President of the Lebanese Food Safety Authority, Dr. Elie Awad, Prof. Rabih Ramouz and Dr. Salem Hayyar, accompanied the Litani Department teams in taking samples, determining their quality and locations, and transporting them for preservation in the Faculty's Animal Production Laboratory in preparation for transferring them to specialized laboratories in Lebanon and abroad.

Dr. Alawieh assigned Dr. Elie Awad and Dr. Nabil Amasha to follow up on the determination of the results of the sample testing in the Lebanese laboratories and one of the laboratories specialized in fish in France.

For his part, a team from the National Center for the Quality of Medicine, Food, Water and Chemicals (LFDCA) under the supervision of Professor Nazih Bou Chahine and the coordinator of the scientific committee at the center, Professor Pascal Salama, is working on preparing an "epidemiological study" that will include residents around Lake Qaraoun to identify the health effects of the crisis (if any) and present the results to the concerned authorities.

The President of the Union of Beheira Municipalities and the Mayor of Qaraoun, Eng. Yahya Daher, valued the high responsibility of the Lebanese University work teams, and called on them to follow up scientifically on the file by studying the causes of pollution, the results of the examination of samples, and taking samples of water and fish regularly in order to preserve the health and environmental systems in the lake and its surroundings.

In the face of the above, the Lebanese University reaffirms that it will be by the side of the Lebanese in all entitlements, and considers that addressing any crisis cannot be done without an integrated and multi-tasking national alliance in partnership with the concerned authorities at home and abroad, and in this context, the Lebanese University appreciates the efforts made by the Litani Authority, headed by Dr. Alawiyeh, in cooperation and coordination with:

• Lebanese army

• UNDP

• UNICEF

• LRC DAMAGE

• Operation Big Blue

• Fishing in Lebanon

• Cedars for care

• LRA

• Warm

• Qaroun municipalities conglomerate

• Muslim Scout

• Lebanese University teams participate in a campaign to clean Qaraoun Lake from dead fish. It develops an action plan to address the environmental disaster in accordance with scientific frameworks

The Lebanese University teams have been participating in the removal of dead fish from Qaraoun Lake and its banks, in cooperation with the Litani River National Authority, the Lebanese Army, the Lebanese Red Cross, and volunteers from private universities, municipalities, and civil and civil associations.

With the first reports of a seasonal virus that caused the accumulation of thousands of dead carpio fish on the shores of the lake connected to the Litani River, the Crisis Intervention Unit at the Lebanese University (LU-Task Force) under the supervision of the President of the University, Prof. Fouad Ayoub, formed the rapid response team to contribute to combating the unprecedented environmental crisis and support the efforts of the Litani and the people to overcome it.

After completing the field survey and assessment of biodiversity in the lake, the Lebanese University formed an emergency team from the National Center for the Quality of Medicine, Food, Water and Chemicals (LFDCA) to support the field teams concerned with food security, fisheries, waste treatment and epidemics, in cooperation with the DRR-Disaster Risk Reduction Department of the Lebanese Red Cross.

In order to prepare for the issuance of a scientific recommendations paper to address the crisis, President Ayoub communicated with a number of concerned parties, and a specialized scientific team was formed with the Universities of Saint Joseph USJ and Balamand, which will work on the following objectives:

Identify the direct and indirect causes of the disaster in cooperation between university laboratories and private laboratories, including the laboratory of the Chamber of Industry in Tripoli

Dead fish must be removed

Develop a context for the scientific treatment of dead fish that is not harmful to the environment and groundwater and mainly preserves the health safety of the people of the towns surrounding the lake

Monitor fluctuations in the oxygen level in the water periodically during the day and night to maintain the lake's ecosystem

Work to radically address the sources of pollution in the Litani River and the lake

Conducting an epidemiological study in the community around the lake

Work on the treatment of irrigation water from the lake through channel 900

The Lebanese University thanks His Excellency the Mayor of West Bekaa, Mr. Wissam Resaba, the President of the Qaraoun Municipalities Association, and the Mayor of Qaraoun, Eng. Yahya Daher, for providing the necessary support to the university's volunteer teams, and appreciates the role and cooperation of the (cedars for care) association, the operation big blue campaign (OBBA) and the (Fishing in Lebanon) association to accomplish this task.

The Lebanese University also thanks the President of Saint Joseph University, Father Professor Salim Daccache, and the President of the University of Balamand, Prof. Elie Warraq, for their quick response to President Ayoub's call to form field and scientific response teams to confront the crisis.

• Powered by (Aquacycle)... Signing a cooperation agreement between the Lebanese University and Sanabel Company for the treatment and reuse of wastewater in the agricultural sector

Within the framework of the (Aquacycle) project funded by the European Union and with the aim of preserving and developing natural resources in order to achieve sustainable development, the Lebanese University, represented by the Dean of the Higher Institute of Doctorate in Science and Technology, Professor Fawaz Al-Omar, and the Real Estate Company for the Development of Tripoli North "Sanabel", represented by lawyer Rami Sharakieh, signed a cooperation agreement related to the treatment and reuse of wastewater in the agricultural sector of the association's housing project in the Deddeh – Koura area.

The agreement was signed on September 24, 2020 at the "Al-Azm Center for Biotechnology" of the Lebanese University in Tripoli, in the presence of the Director of the Center, Dr. Muhammad Khalil, the scientific officer of the project, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mel, the project's employees and researchers at the Center.

In his speech, Prof. Al-Omar stressed that the Lebanese University continues to support innovations and targeted research in the environmental sector, specifically in the field of waste investment and recycling, pointing out that the agreement signed is the first of its kind in Lebanon to achieve sustainable management of environmental, social and economic impacts and reduce operational expenses related to water, energy and waste.

Prof. Al-Omar revealed that the implementation of the project will take three years and a wastewater treatment plant will be established and converted into arable water, which will contribute to supporting environmental activities, programs and projects in line with the national plans implemented by several ministries such as agriculture, environment, energy and water.

He added: "This project marks the beginning of the application of the integrated and sustainable water resources management methodology in Lebanon, and it is summarized in the construction of a model plant in Deddeh – Koura that includes three parts: anaerobic treatment of sewage (Anaerobic digestion) and the conversion of the resulting mud into fertilizer used in agriculture, which then turns the water into a wet oasis (Construction Wetland) to absorb the cultivated plants according to special techniques, leading to a solar treatment plant in which the remaining pollutants are removed, so the water becomes usable in the field. Agricultural in accordance with international health standards and conditions.

• On January 24, 2019, issued the National Center for the quality of medicine, food, water and chemicals at the Lebanese University, the results of the analysis of samples taken from the water in a number of houses in Bakain East and West. The summary of the analyzes showed that bacterial contamination affects the surface and groundwater and distribution networks, and therefore the drinking water that reaches the homes of citizens in those areas is not suitable for drinking. According to the center, the results of the bacteriological analysis of drinking water and use showed that a well near the spring of Shamsin feeding the town of Bar Elias, in which the bacteria exceeded the maximum permissible drinking water due to its contamination with wastewater.

• The agreement aims to develop joint studies, conduct analyzes and laboratory tests required to treat pollution of the Litani River water and environment, in the laboratories of the Lebanese University, namely the Water, Food and Drug Laboratory. It also aims to exchange information, conduct joint research and involve specialists from the two teams in workshops and training on irrigation projects, hydroelectric power plants, and other related topics.