MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND WATER NATIONAL WATER SECTOR STRATEGY UPDATE 2019

On the occasion of the Beirut Water Day Septmber 27th, the Ministry of Energy and Water presented the various steps followed for the update of the national water sector strategy scheduled for the end of 2019.

The Ministry is relying on a consortium of consultants to revise its strategy for water, sanitation and irrigation. An important component of this national strategy is governance and management. For each component of this strategy, specific attention is given to economic and social impacts. This strategy is in line with previous intervention policies but redefines national and regional priorities in the current context.

The update of the strategy is divided into three phases:

• Data collection in coordination with the various actors of the sector (June to September 2019);

• Data processing and analysis for the definition of better management and governance (in progress);

• Data processing and analysis for infrastructure prioritization (in progress).

For infrastructure, a priority is given to the extension and improvement of supply networks, the reduction of unpaid debts, the development of resources (including dams), the protection of the Lebanese coast and the Mediterranean, the protection of storage areas and protection of major surface and underground water resources.For the definition of a better management, a priority is given to the increase of the subscription and recovery rates, the restructuring of the tariffs, the update of the organization charts of the Ministry of Energy and Water and Regional Establishments water, the protection of water quality and its security, the revision of the water code and the publication of its application decrees and demand management with volumetric pricing.The revision of this strategy makes it possible to identify needs for further studies on technical, legislative, management and communication aspects.