Lebanon has a turbulent history behind it, with a lot of recent armed conflicts. These have not only caused deaths and injuries, refugee flows and economic disruption, but also damage to the environment. Two doctoral researchers from UT research institute IGS, examined the relation between armed conflicts and environmental damage. Sahar Issa examined how the environmental damage has influenced the vulnerability of communities in the coastal area of North Lebanon. The environmental damage has a long-term effect and particularly appears to affect the most vulnerable. Nivine Abbas examined the impact of trust relations on the environmental management in North Lebanon. Issa will obtain a doctoral degree for her research on 24 September and Abbas on 25 September.
Armed conflicts not only disrupt society, but also cause considerable damage to the environment. Examples include water pollution from oil spills, land degradation due to the destruction of infrastructure, a lack of good environmental management and excessive use of natural resources. This environmental degradation can have a long-term effect - continuing even after the conflict has ended - for communities living in the area. This includes communities that depend on agriculture, fisheries or tourism.
North Lebanon
Sahar Issa examined how the degradation of the environment as a result of armed conflicts affected the population in the coastal area of North Lebanon. In her interdisciplinary Doctoral research she analyzed the effects of four armed conflicts in the region: the Israeli invasion in 1982, the Israeli-Lebanese war of 2006, the fighting in Nahr El Bared in 2007 and the fighting in Tripoli in 2008. The communities living in this region are among the poorest and most deprived in the country. In her research, Issa concludes that the environmental damage has further increased the vulnerability of these communities and aggravated their situation.
During armed conflicts, the focus lies on saving lives and preventing injuries. The environment often comes last. Nevertheless, the prevention of environmental damage is also very important because it can be a source of social, economic and political instability in the longer term, and thereby increases the risk of new armed conflicts.
Trust
Nivine Abbas examined trust relationships in North Lebanon. How do trust relationships among citizens, public sector stakeholders and private sector stakeholders affect environmental management? Her research shows that in Lebanon a lack of trust causes citizens to stop participating in environmental activities or fail to comply with environmental decisions and regulations. Moreover, the lack of trust hinders the progress of planned environmental projects and it even causes delay or cancellation of these projects. Abbas: "In times of political unrest or armed conflicts , the environment is often forgotten. This can prolong the environment being damaged. This may cause people getting sick, problems with farming and damage to fisherie when water is polluted. Trust and cooperation between the citizens, public sector stakeholders and private sector stakeholders is very important to improve Environmental management.”
Research
Sahar Issa and Nivine Abbas conducted their doctoral research within the Department of Governance and Technology for Sustainability (CSTM). They both were supervised by prof. dr. Jon Lovett, dr. Irna van der Molen and dr. Manal Nader (University of Balamand, Lebanon). The research was financially supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), WOTRO Science for Global Development. Issa will defend her doctoral thesis at the University of Twente on 24 September, at 16.45 p.m. Abbas will do this on 25 September, at 12.45 p.m.
Note for the press
For more information, interview requests, or a digital version of the doctoral thesis’s, please contact UT Public Relations Officer Joost Bruysters (06 1048 8228) or UT Public Relations Officer Kim Hovestad (06 22436275).
