The Port of Beirut (PoB) explosion on August 4, 2020 created multiple environmental challenges. A Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment was carried out jointly by The World Bank Group (WBG), European Union (EU) and United Nations Lebanon, immediately after the explosion to assess the impact of the disaster on the population, changes in economic flows, physical assets, infrastructure, and service delivery in Beirut. The destruction of a large number of houses and other structures has led to the generation of various waste streams. The presence of hazardous waste materials in the various streams generated due to the explosion, poses direct and immediate threat to the population and overall environmental quality of Beirut. There is an urgent need to contain and safely dispose of these waste materials. Given the hazardous nature of the material stored, the soil at these storage sites is also likely to have been contaminated and could require remediation.
The project aims at responding to urgent and critical environmental issues arising out of the PoB explosion and minimizing/mitigating public health and environmental risks. The interventions, more specifically designed towards the management and disposal of demolition waste generated from the damaged buildings and asbestos contaminated waste, rehabilitation of damaged solid waste infrastructure and technical assistance measures for their sustainable operation.