Living Without Water or Paying Unbearable Prices: Lebanon's Worst Drought Threatens Food, Livestock, and Biodiversity.

Climate change and poor management by the authorities, according to experts, are some of the causes of the Lebanese water crisis, which affects the population.

George Rizkallah pauses on his vacant lot to watch the vines wither. He has farmed these lands in Zahle, in the Bekaa Valley, along Lebanon 's northern border, for decades . "I used to farm an area of ​​up to 300 dunums (30 hectares). Now I can only harvest 60 (6 hectares)," explains Rizkallah. Years of erratic rainfall and scarce well water have made farming increasingly unsustainable, he explains. "We used to irrigate 10 dunums (1 hectare) in a day, now it takes a week." The difficulties this farmer faces in the fields are yet another sign that Lebanon is suffering from the worst drought in its history.

Lake Qaraoun, the country's largest freshwater reservoir, dropped to 57 million cubic meters in August, compared to 153 million cubic meters a year earlier. The reservoir's annual average was 320 million cubic meters. What's worse, this water is unusable due to severe pollution.

The water crisis also threatens the country's food security, which was already in the red. According to a report by the World Food Program, one in five people in Lebanon (approximately 1.17 million) suffers from acute food insecurity. Damage to agricultural infrastructure, economic stagnation, and a decline in humanitarian aid are constantly pushing families to the limit. Projections indicate that the number of those affected could reach 1.24 million between July and October 2025.

Domestic water supply is another major problem. Lebanese families face an impossible choice: live without water or pay unbearable prices for this essential commodity. The collapse of state water systems means citizens must obtain water from four different sources: state water—with constant and prolonged interruptions —bottled water, dispensers, and tanker trucks, which often arrive contaminated with sludge from dry wells.

The economic cost is staggering. Jinan Sami breaks down her family's water costs: "We don't have a state water supply because there's a spring that feeds the well for the building we live in. But the well dried up in April, and now we have to buy water every two days for cleaning, bathing, and other household uses, which costs more than $300 a month (about €255)." In Lebanon, the monthly minimum wage is just over $300.

The water suppliers themselves are in crisis. Raed Zein al Din, who has been working in this sector for 20 years, explains that he has been unable to supply water to the population because it has become incredibly turbid. “I have a reputation to uphold,” he tells EL PAÍS.

Nada Shahin, a housewife, points out the cruel irony: “State water only arrives once a month, if we're lucky, and private tanker owners have recently announced price increases.” According to Shanin, delivery costs have risen from $20 to $25 for ten barrels, which “pushes already desperate families even further to the limit.”

We are experiencing a water crisis in all areas and watersheds of Lebanon.

Sami Alawieh, director of the Litani River Authority

“This year is the driest on record,” confirms Sami Alawieh, director of the Litani River Authority, the longest river in the country. “We are experiencing a water crisis in all of Lebanon’s territories and watersheds.”

A high-level emergency meeting was held in early August, attended by Alawieh, the head of the National Water Authority, and Shadi Abdullah, secretary-general of the National Scientific Research Council, to develop an emergency strategy to address this crisis. “The water level of Lake Qaraoun has dropped this year from 851.63 meters to 838.82 meters, a decrease of 12.81 meters,” Alawieh said. Reserves, he added, have been reduced from 152,748,000 cubic meters to 57,264,000 cubic meters, which is approximately 95 million cubic meters less.

"The current situation jeopardizes the sustainability of Lake Qaraoun as a major water resource and heralds serious environmental, agricultural, and hydroelectric complications. The country has entered a phase of severe water stress," adds the head of the National Water Authority.

Alawieh has demanded immediate measures to control consumption in accordance with water protection laws, particularly Water Law No. 192/2020, which regulates and institutionalizes the water sector in Lebanon.

Climate emergency and mismanagement

Hydroelectric plants connected to the Litani River have also shut down, leading to tightening electricity restrictions in some 130 towns and cities, with serious repercussions for the national economy.

At the same time, several rivers, such as the Awali, which is vital to farmers, are drying up, and wells in the Bekaa Valley are being depleted at an alarming rate of 45%, according to Naji Kehdy, a hydrogeologist and professor of geography at the Lebanese University.

Kehdy points to two main causes: the climate crisis and poor human management. “The frequency of dry seasons and population growth, the constant indiscriminate use of water, and the absence of a sustainable water policy are factors contributing to these circumstances,” he explains to EL PAÍS. He asserts that up to 40% of the water used for irrigation evaporates due to rising temperatures. He advises farmers to irrigate after sunset and grow crops that require less water.

In response to the situation, Kehdy developed the Water Literacy Index (WKI), a tool designed to measure people's awareness of water-related issues.

“In sedimentary regions like the Bekaa Valley, there are clear indicators that groundwater sources are being depleted, particularly wells used for irrigation and domestic use,” says Kehdy, who points out that evaporation rates are increasing at a dangerous rate, especially in September and October, so he sees the need for stricter restrictions on water use.

The frequency of dry seasons and population growth, the constant indiscriminate use of water and the absence of a sustainable water policy are factors that contribute to these circumstances.

Naji Kehdy, hydrogeologist and professor of geography at the Lebanese University

Furthermore, he adds, snow is increasingly scarce and not enough to replenish underground water reservoirs in agricultural areas. "We must raise awareness to curb waste in both domestic and industrial uses and sustain tourism and the economic cycle," he insists.

Environmental researcher Kamal Salim, who has been investigating the biodiversity and pollutants of Lake Qaraoun since 2008, says it is infested with a toxic cyanobacterium called Aphanizomenon ovalisporum , which is responsible for the blue-green color of the water. “This bacteria produces toxins that are a threat to the lake and its surroundings, everything within a 500-meter radius,” Salim explains to EL PAÍS. “The danger is aggravated by rising temperatures and has already led to a decline in biodiversity.”

Salim adds that there is a "cocktail" of pollutants flowing into the river and lake, contributing to the growth of aquatic plants such as algae and bacteria, and species like carp, which do tolerate these substances.

“Wastewater treatment plants are crucial for cleaning the lake of sewage, pesticides from agriculture, and industrial waste from approximately 300 factories,” he explains. He adds that the lake is now filled with stagnant, polluted water and therefore unusable for irrigation.

The sharp drop in the Orontes (Al Assi) River's water level, by approximately 60%, says pharmacist Ghayas Nassereddine, who owns land he rents to farmers in Hermel, in northeastern Lebanon, has been very detrimental to the tourist season, with kayaking trips and other activities having to be cancelled. "Furthermore, 60 fish farms lost between 20 and 45% of their fish, which died because, in the coldest regions, temperatures rose by around 4 degrees Celsius (from 16 to 20 degrees Celsius), something never seen before," he says.

Nassereddine explains that the primitive dams built by trout farmers to collect water caused unprecedented algae blooms. “To reverse the stagnation of the water, farmers had to use pumping machines to oxygenate and keep the fish alive, with the resulting increase in costs.” This vicious cycle, he continues, has driven up the costs of local food production in the face of competition with cheaper, higher-quality imported products.

Walid Sayfeddin, president of the Environmental Association of Rashaya, a city southeast of Beirut, notes that the drought has affected the Al Yabsa pond, the only body of water in the region. “It used to hold around 35,000 cubic meters, but now only 10,000 remain due to the lack of rainfall and rapid melting of snow,” he says.

“This pond was a source of water for thousands of livestock, amphibians, and beehives, and was a strategic location for migratory birds, but this year it has been dry since early August, even though it used to last until September,” says Sayfeddin.

This article was originally published on the Spanish website "El País" on September 23, in collaboration with the Eijab platform. It was subsequently translated on the "Zawaya Media" website by the technical team. We extend our sincere thanks to the experts and citizens for their contributions and input to this article.