LEBANON - Lebanon receives around 823 mm of precipitation annually, one of the highest rates in the Middle East and North Africa, yet only about 45% of its available water resources are currently used, largely because of limited storage infrastructure.
This highlights the role of lakes, reservoirs, and other surface-water systems in storing water, supporting irrigation, reducing pressure on groundwater, and maintaining freshwater supplies.
These functions are becoming increasingly critical as climate change alters Lebanon’s water cycle. Water availability is projected to decline by up to 9% by 2040, and by as much as 50% during the dry season, driven by reduced runoff, lower aquifer recharge, shorter snowmelt periods, and increased evaporation.
At the same time, pollution is undermining the environmental benefits of Lebanon’s freshwater systems. Untreated wastewater remains a major source of water pollution, alongside industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, landfill leachate, and quarry discharge. Only around 6-7% of wastewater is currently treated to adequate secondary or tertiary standards.
The World Bank report also found bacterial contamination in 95% of samples from 14 major perennial rivers, with at least 60% exceeding microbiological standards for irrigation.
Litani River Basin
The Litani River Basin (LRB) provides one of the clearest examples of both the importance and vulnerability of Lebanon’s freshwater resources.
The basin covers around 20% of Lebanon’s territory, holds approximately 30% of the country’s water resources, supports about 42% of irrigated land, and supplies drinking water to nearly one million people. Yet it is also severely affected by sewage, industrial and agricultural discharges, and excessive chemical and fertilizer use.
The basin also connects geographically distinct parts of Lebanon. Water originating in the Bekaa can ultimately support irrigation and communities farther south; for example, the Litani River Authority's Canal 800 project is designed to transfer around 100 million m³ from Lake Qaraoun to irrigate approximately 15,000 hectares, with irrigation planned to benefit around 77 villages and drinking water around 99 villages.
These functions are threatened by pollution from untreated sewage, industrial and agricultural discharges, waste disposal, and excessive fertilizer and chemical use. The problem is therefore not limited to the ecological condition of the river: deteriorating water quality can also affect irrigation, public health, and communities that depend on the basin.
Lake Qaraoun
At the receiving end of the Upper Litani lies Lake Qaraoun, Lebanon’s largest artificial lake and one of the country’s most important pieces of water infrastructure. Formed following the construction of the Qaraoun Dam in the early 1960s, the reservoir covers approximately 12.3 km² and has a storage capacity of around 220–225 million m³ of water.
Its significance extends beyond water storage: the Qaraoun system supports irrigation and hydroelectric power generation, linking the lake to agricultural production and energy generation.
Its location also makes Qaraoun a reflection of environmental pressures occurring across the wider watershed. Pollutants carried downstream from settlements, industries, and agricultural areas accumulate in the lake, contributing to declining water quality. Qaraoun thus illustrates a wider challenge: a reservoir created to secure and utilize freshwater can lose part of its environmental and economic value when the watershed feeding it is not adequately protected.
Lakes, Livelihoods, and Sustainable Development
Protecting lakes is therefore closely connected to sustainable development. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) calls not only for improved water quality and sustainable water use, but specifically for the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems, including lakes.
In the case of Qaraoun, this connection is tangible: protecting water quality helps preserve water that supports agriculture and hydropower. Cleaner freshwater systems can therefore contribute to farmers’ livelihoods, food production, water security and energy generation, while healthy aquatic ecosystems provide environmental benefits of their own.
Lebanon’s freshwater resources cannot be protected by focusing on water quantity alone. Improved wastewater treatment, stronger pollution control and integrated watershed management are necessary to preserve the ecological functions of lakes while ensuring that they continue contributing to livelihoods and Lebanon’s long-term water resilience.
