Activists warn that the latest projects could further restrict public access to Lebanon’s already privatised coastline and cause irreversible damage to marine ecosystems [Getty]
Three decrees approving controversial new construction projects along Lebanon’s coastline were reportedly signed during the final meetings of Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s outgoing cabinet, prompting outrage among activists, who raised the alarm this week over potential environmental and legal consequences.
The move had gone “unnoticed for weeks”, according to the Lebanese daily L’Orient–Le Jour, which reported on Thursday that while Lebanon’s coastal law mandates the seashore as public property, loopholes and political influence had enabled numerous illegal projects to proceed.
The first decree permits the construction of a road in Bebnine, Akkar, including an underground passage, while the second approves the expansion of an existing seaside development in the village of Ras Maska in Koura. The third relates to a project in Qlaileh, near the southern Tyre, close to the protected Mansouri site, a well-known nesting sanctuary for sea turtles.
Environmental activists and local officials voiced strong opposition to the decrees, warning that they could further restrict public access to Lebanon’s already privatised coastline and cause irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.
“It is unthinkable that, on a coastline already heavily built up and largely inaccessible to the public, we continue to see new coastal occupation projects,” Paul Abi Rached, president of the environmental organisation TERRE Liban told the outlet.
The decree concerning Zouk Bebnine involves expropriating land for the construction of a 6,000-square-meter road project, including an underground passage and a port.
In Rasmaska, the decree grants a permit to construction company Palma, allowing it to expand an existing seaside development by an additional 1,700 square meters, bringing its total investment area to 76,140 square meters of adjacent public maritime property.
The New Arab has contacted Palma for comments but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The third decree, covering a project in Qlaileh, has raised the most concerns due to its proximity to the Mansouri protected area, a nesting sanctuary for endangered sea turtles.
The decree grants Wali Décor, a real estate company, the right to occupy and invest in 14,560 square meters of public maritime land.
An environmental impact study has been requested, but activists remain sceptical.
“Fish farms that do not follow strict environmental standards can have devastating effects, polluting marine waters, depleting oxygen levels, and promoting harmful algae growth,” local activist Fadia Joumaa told the Lebanese daily.
L’Orient–Le Jour reported that a group of lawyers was preparing to challenge all three decrees, arguing that the lack of environmental impact studies rendered them legally invalid.
The New Arab has contacted Lebanon’s ministry of public works for comment.
