In brief
Lebanon is grappling with a massive cleanup effort following the recent conflict, with thousands of buildings destroyed and an overwhelming amount of rubble posing significant environmental risks.
Ahmad Mehdi, a 20-year-old engineering student in Beirut, recently found himself living in a fractured apartment after an Israeli airstrike destroyed neighboring buildings in his locality. He described the devastation as the total collapse of eleven floors reduced to a sea of rocks and debris. Many Lebanese, like Mehdi, keen to repair their homes and businesses, are unsure where to dispose of the rubble effectively. The Lebanese government is in the early stages of rebuilding as it assesses the damage caused by months of conflict, which officially started with Hezbollah's escalation on October 7, 2023. This war resulted in over 3,700 casualties and displaced 1.3 million individuals across the country.Experts indicated that Israeli strikes have generated an estimated 350 million cubic feet of rubble throughout Lebanon. This impedes meaningful reconstruction efforts. Additionally, the conflict has had a devastating impact on the economy, wiping out billions of dollars in resources, and large swathes of plant life and infrastructure along the southern border with Israel. While the country’s reconstruction efforts are urgent, Mahmoud Elzein, a member of the National Council for Scientific Research in Lebanon, warns that the process cannot commence without addressing the rubble responsibly. The situation in Gaza, severely damaged by ongoing hostilities, further complicates the region’s recovery.
