Lebanon has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and seas. It’s crucial for us to preserve them and take care of them consistently as we, the people, use them. That goes as well for our marine life that we must preserve intact and safe, and that is exactly what our Environment Minister Fadi Jreissati has decided to take into action.
Minister Jreissati has launched a plan at the national level in order to protect the coastal regions of Lebanon, including the Anfeh peninsula, Jbeil (Byblos), Batroun, Sidon, Naqqura, and Tyre. He maintains that the issues of the sea are quite challenging that it is crucial to control the problems of landfills.
He explained that the process will take about 2-3 years so we can come to manage the sewage issue in Lebanon. The amount being disposed into the sea is massive, as he said, and that isn’t fair to our beautiful country or to its marine life.
Another issue that Minister Jreissati plans to tackle is the overflowing of the landfills of garbage. The winds are being disastrously effective in releasing more wastes into the ocean. He stresses as well that we should avoid any potential oil spills, considering this will highly pollute the seas.
According to studies by the University of Cadiz, Lebanon has an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 tons of plastic wastes. That, in fact, is very toxic to the sea, unsanitary, and highly risky to our marine life.
Also, Lebanon’s waters have 50 times more than the normal bacteria streptococci that are considered safe by the World Health Organization. Streptococci are an indication of fetal matters.
Minister Jreissati is taking all these factors into serious consideration. After launching his plan in a press conference in Verdun Radisson Blu Hotel, he is hoping for upcoming success in his feature endeavors.
We, citizens of Lebanon, have an obligation, even above the moral, to do our share in preserving our environment, and enact high consciousness in how we use the blessings of our land.
That’s also on us, not just on the government. We should all do our part in maintaining our beautiful country for the generations to come.
