On Tuesday, for International Women’s Day, the United Nations, along with the Lebanese civil society, organized a webinar to celebrate the women “leading the fight against environmental degradation and climate change in Lebanon.”
The United Nations “celebrates the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all,” said UN Lebanon in a statement.
According to the UN Lebanon, climate change is a threat to Lebanon due to the inability to find sustainable solutions for waste management and sustainable energy.
“Contamination and depletion of the groundwater have reached catastrophic levels, and air pollution is estimated to have increased by 50% between 2017 and 2020 in Lebanon,” added the organization.
The UN and its partners profiled a group of women working in Lebanon “to combat the far-reaching impacts of climate change, including its health, economic, and social effects on the country” while also focusing on the urgent need for action to reduce the effects of climate change.
Those are the nine women leading the fight against climate change in Lebanon:
#1 Nadida Raad
34- year-old Nadida Raad is the co-founder of The Chain Effect, a non-profit organization promoting the use of bicycles as a means of transportation through street art, public interventions, and community projects.
#2 Caroline Chabtini
Caroline Chaptini is a recycling artist and three Guinness World Records’ breaker. Her work has inspired many people to focus on waste management and start recycling initiatives.
#3 Dr. Maya Nehmeh
Dr. Maya Nehme is the Director of Lebanese Reforestation Initiative, an NGO working at conserving and expanding Lebanon’s forests through community-based approaches.
#4 Aida Ghadban
Aida Ghadban is a Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon. She helped train more than 100 women to grow their vegetables on their home’s balconies.
#5 Dr Myriam Ghsoub
Myriam Ghsoub is a research consultant at the National Center for Marine Sciences in Lebanon. In her work, she seeks to understand how environmental changes can be threatening to different aspects of human life.
#6 Carole Ayat
Carol Ayat is an energy finance professional, and a Senior Fellow at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Ayat advocates for producing electricity more sustainably and consciously.
#7 Dr. Mona Fawaz
Mona Fawaz is a professor in Urban Studies and Planning at the American University of Beirut (AUB). She is also the co-founder of the Beirut Urban Lab, a research space to produce studies and scholarships on urbanization.
#8 Nouhad Awwad
Nouhad Awwad is the founder of the Lebanese national chapter and project campaigner at Greenpeace MENA.
#9 Dr Najat Saliba
Najat A. Saliba is the co-founder and Executive Director of Environment Academy (EA), led by the American University Beirut (AUB). Saliba aims to find solutions to environmental failure in Lebanon.
The UN campaign also includes a photographic virtual exhibition showcasing the women championing climate change initiatives in Lebanon. The virtual exhibition will run online and will be included on UN Lebanon.
