Lebanon
Water supply infrastructure and reservoirs for Syrian refugees and Lebanese in the Bekaa and Baalbek-Harmel areas
ADRA Slovakia, in cooperation with ADRA Lebanon, is implementing its third project in Lebanon aimed at providing safe, affordable and sustainable access to critical water supply infrastructure.
The project aims to improve the quality of life of the Syrian refugee community and vulnerable Lebanese communities in the Bekaa Valley, their sanitation, and energy self-sufficiency.
Construction of water supply infrastructure and connection to solar system
The first part of the activity will be the construction of a water supply infrastructure and its connection to a solar system in an informal refugee settlement.
The second part of the activity will be the installation of a pump and a new solar system on the already existing water supply infrastructure in the informal refugee settlement.
The construction and connection of the solar system will generate electricity that will provide 44 Syrian families (approximately 230 people) with easy and cost-effective access to drinking water.
Distribution of plastic water tanks for families and schools
The unavailability of drinking and drinking water is a problem not only for Syrian refugees but also for the local Lebanese community. Many people are forced to use water stored in ditches, ponds or reservoirs, which are unsafe and cause various health problems such as cholera, hepatitis A and scabies.
This is why we will strengthen the capacity of low-income households (approx. 9,869 individuals) that have limited access to water resources. Through the distribution of 1,082 plastic tanks of 1,000 litres capacity, we will strengthen the energy self-sufficiency of vulnerable Lebanese community and Syrian refugee families in 6 locations in the Bekaa Valley - Bar Elias, Majdal Anjar, Meksa, Qab Elias, Bwarij and Mrayjat. Another 50 plastic tanks will be handed over to local students and staff in 10 schools.
Equal opportunities, environmental protection and combating climate change
Water scarcity indirectly affects women and children in particular, as they are the ones who have to walk long distances to fetch drinking water. This situation also has a negative impact on the menstrual hygiene of women and girls. In addition to high water prices in Lebanon, households often have to make difficult choices and sacrifice their children's education in order to save money for survival. By distributing plastic reservoirs, we will reduce the disproportionate burden that women and children face and improve their quality of life on multiple levels.
Environmental degradation in Lebanon is directly linked to access to water. As water scarcity is felt throughout the country, residents rely on buying bottled water or tanker imports, which is not sustainable in the long term and has a negative impact on the environment.82
Situation
The crisis in Lebanon is one of the most complex humanitarian crises of our time. Some 13.5 million people have been displaced since 2011 due to the ongoing fighting in Syria. Lebanon, which had a population of 4 million before the crisis, has hosted approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees, making it the host of the largest per capita refugee population in the world. The high number of refugees is challenging Lebanon's already challenged infrastructure, including electricity, water networks. Combined with weakened government institutions, the explosion in Beirut, the COVID-19 crisis, high inflation and shortages of fuel, energy, materials and raw materials for the general population, there is an acute need for comprehensive humanitarian interventions in Lebanon.
One of the most complex problems is the lack of water. Solarization of wells and water tanks and distribution of water tanks is the most effective response to this problem and ADRA Slovakia, which has been operating in Lebanon since 2019, together with its local partner, ADRA Lebanon, is working to address some of the long-standing humanitarian challenges that plague the most vulnerable host and refugee communities.
The current project is loosely based on two successfully completed projects:
- Construction large-capacity drinking water tanks with a volume of 500 m3 in the village of Hay Al Shaab Wal Zahraa
- Installation of latrines, solar-powered water tank and solar street lighting in the village of Al Faour
Partners:
ADRA Slovakia implements the project in cooperation with a partner organization ADRA Lebanon. The project activities are financed from Official development assistance of the Slovak Republic within the project SAMRS/2022/HUM/1/6 - Strengthening critical WASH infrastructure - water supply system and small reservoirs for Syrian refugees and Lebanese in the Bekaa and Baalbek-Harmel area, between October 2022 and April 2024.
EN 
SK 
