The Bisri Dam is a planned dam on the Bisri river in Lebanon. The dam is part of the Lebanon Water Supply Augmentation project, with water management as the primary purpose. The project is organised by the Government of Lebanon in order to tackle water scarcity issues in Lebanon and specifically in the Greater Beirut and the Mount Lebanon area. The expected funding for the project was coming from the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Government of Lebanon, and it is executed by the Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction. The Bisri dam project started on September 30, 2014, and is projected to end by June 30, 2024. The dam is planned to be located 35 kilometres south of Beirut in Bisri Valley, close to the village of Bisri. Due to its impact on the environment, archaeological sites, agriculture as well as seismic risk the dam project has faced opposition from civil society, political parties, adjacent municipalities and also internationally.
On April 17, 2020, in response to criticism from civil society, the World Bank announced that it had frozen funding for the project. On September 4, 2020, the World Bank announced that it was cancelling its funding for the dam.
Background
The area of Greater Beirut is at the moment supplied by the karstic limestone aquifers of Mount Lebanon from the cavern outflows at Jeita and piped to the capital via the Dbaiyeh Treatment Plant. The area faces droughts especially during summer times. The water tapping from the Jeita spring is inefficient and there is a 30% water loss between Jeita and Dbayeh. Most households have alternative supplies to maintain access to water. Examples of alternative supplies are private wells or bottled water.
Lebanon has already two other dams: the Faraya-Chabrouh dam and the Litani River Dam. The Faraya-Chabrouh dam is located above the village of Faraya (approximately 40 kilometres NE of Beirut) and it was inaugurated in 2007. The dam is 63 metres tall, around 1300 metres long and the reservoir's capacity is around 8 million cubic metres (MCM). The location of the dam is in a rural area of Lebanon surrounded by farmland. The water from the Faraya-Chabrouh dam is meant to be used to irrigate the surrounding agricultural land. The Faraya-Chabrouh dam projects consists of the dam itself, as well as an abduction line and a water treatment plant.
The Litani River dam was established in 1959 on the Litani River, creating the biggest artificial lake in Lebanon. The lake takes up around 12 square kilometres and holds approximately 220 million cubic metres (MCM). The dam is 60 metres high, 1,350 metres long, and 162 metres broad. The size of the dam itself is around 2 MCM. On average, the Litani basin carries around 700 MCM of water flow annually (based on 25 years of measurements from 1941 to 1971). Depending on precipitation, however, the Litani basin's flow varies from year to year. In 1970, the release from the basin reached its minimum of 184 MCM, whereas the maximum of 1020 MCM was measured in 1954. The current estimate is an average annual flow of 920 MCM. Compared to the Jordan River, the Litani River, which is about 170 kilometres long, is smaller in terms of water flow.
The Litani River's water is of high quality. As an example, its salt concentration is 20 parts per million, which is relatively low compared to for instance 250-350 parts per million for the Sea of Galilee. The Litani River is located inside the borders of Lebanon: It starts in central Beqaa Valley in the north, relatively close to Baalbek to the west, and from there it flows between the western Lebanon mountain and the eastern Anti-Lebanon Mountains towards the south and south-west. The river enters a gorge at Qarun and continues through it for 30 kilometres. Around Nabatieh and the Beaufort Castle the river turns towards west and breaks through the mountains. It then flows through the elevated landscape in the al-Amal region, and north of Tyre it empties into the Mediterranean.
Finances
The financial costs The financial costs of the Water Supply Augmentation project are estimated to be US$617.000 million in total. The financing comes from three sources: The World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Government of Lebanon. The specific amounts are as follows:
US$474 million was pledged by the World Bank US$128 million was pledged the Islamic Development Bank US$15 million are financed by the Government of Lebanon as the recipient of the loans
Financial aid and foreign donors The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the International Development Association (IDA). The World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has 189 member countries, while the International Development Association (IDA) has 173 members. Each member state of IBRD should also be a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and only members of IBRD are allowed to join other institutions within the Bank (such as IDA). The World Bank's most recent stated goal is the reduction of poverty. For the poorest developing countries in the world, the bank's assistance plans are based on poverty reduction strategies; by combining a cross-section of local groups with an extensive analysis of the country's financial and economic situation the World Bank develops a strategy pertaining uniquely to the country in question. The government then identifies the country's priorities and targets for the reduction of poverty, and the World Bank aligns its aid efforts correspondingly.
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (Arabic: البنك الإسلامي للتنمية) is a multilateral development finance institution that is focused on Islamic finance located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There are 57 shareholding member states with the largest single shareholder being Saudi Arabia. The present membership of the Bank consists of 57 countries. The basic condition for membership is that the prospective member country should be a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), pay its contribution to the capital of the Bank and be willing to accept such terms and conditions as may be decided upon by the IDB Board of Governors. IDB has evolved into a group of five Entities, consisting of Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Islamic Research & Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Corporation for Development of the Private Sector (ICD), Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) and International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC). IDB Group is engaged in a wide range of specialized and integrated activities such as: Project financing in the public and private sectors; development assistance for poverty alleviation; technical assistance for capacity-building; economic and trade cooperation among member countries; trade financing; SME financing; resource mobilization; direct equity investment in Islamic financial institutions; insurance and reinsurance coverage for investment and export credit; research and training programs in Islamic economics and banking; awqaf investment and financing; special assistance and scholarships for member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries; emergency relief; and advisory services for public and private entities in member countries.
After missing many deadlines for satisfying the conditions for the World Bank loan, the World Bank terminated its funding to the project, citing three reasons: 1) The ecological compensation plan was not finalized with the involvement of relevant stakeholders; 2) the maintenance and operation plan was not finalized; and 3) the contractor was not mobilized by the agreed upon deadline.
The water flow and technical features The water that should be captured by Bisri dam will reach Joun Lake. This lake is to be filled from various sources (e.g. Awali river, Ain Zarwa Spring, Jezzine Springs, and Lake Qaraoun). According to the World Bank, the water is projected to be treated at a water treatment plant in Wardanieh. In addition, the project aims for the water to be safe to drink, by meeting either Lebanese drinking standards (LIBNOR NL 161) and/or EU standards (98/83/EC), whichever is the more stringent. Once the water is treated it should flow through a distribution system providing water to 1.6 million residents in Greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
Benefits of the Bisri dam With the construction of the Bisri dam, the Lebanese government aims to reduce the chronic water shortages that still affect the country. According to the World Bank, the dam will provide the 1.6 million people who live across the Greater Beirut & Mount Lebanon (GBML) with better access to water. It will especially increase the purchasing power of the 460,000 people of this region who live on less than $4 a day by reducing reliance on water bottles and tanks.
Social and environmental impacts of the Bisri dam The Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction carried out an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) as a part of the project preparation. This was allegedly done in cooperation with civil society, governmental agencies, the private sector, as well as the local community. The Lebanese Ministry of Environment reviewed and approved the ESIA. Based on the ESIA, an Environment and Social Management Plan (ESMP) has been developed, including mitigation measures to social and environmental impacts. Nevertheless, these measures have failed to convince a substantial proportion of civil society, which claims that the development of the Bisri dam is mired with corruption.
Resettlement and needs of local inhabitants A Resettlement Action Plan has also been developed, explaining the details of the land expropriation and resettlement process. The resettlement plan was widely consulted with the affected landowners and their delegates. This plan is also subject to an independent review apparatus, which overlooks its implementation. The continuous expropriation of land affects 861 landowners out of whom 96 live in the area and depend on the land for income and livelihood. In accordance with World Bank policies, all landowners are given cash compensation in accordance with replacement costs.
To provide support for affected inhabitants, a Grievance Redress Mechanism has been launched. Affected inhabitants are able to raise complaints and seek remedies through this mechanism, which is thoroughly monitored by the World Bank as well as independent environmental and social expert panels. Affected communities can also benefit from the project through the Benefit-Sharing Program. This program promotes employment opportunities, improves community services and social welfare, and ensures that the local communities benefit from the continuous development of the project.
In regard to the impact on local communities, the World Bank Regional Director for the Middle East, Saroj Kumar Jha, states:
"The project was designed according to international best practice in reducing the impacts on local communities. Those who will be impacted by the project are entirely accounted for and measures are put in place to ensure that their livelihoods are sustained and concerns are addressed."
Environmental and safety concerns