The following deficiencies have hindered the implementation of sanitary landfill:

• Lack of environmental regulation and enforcement
• Lack of a national monitoring system.
• Lack of a regulatory and planning entity that formulates policies, prepares plans and programs, facilitates financing and provides technical assistance
• Lack of laws concerning sanitary landfill that govern the siting, design, operation, and the monitoring of gas and leachate.

Therefore, there should be a well-defined national policy for solid waste management, and the responsibility and authority at various levels has to be specifically codified. Organizational pattern, norms for use of resources such as workforce, equipment and machinery and also codes of practice for solid waste handling, treatment and disposal with the delegation of management flexibility to make changes specific to the local conditions.

Moreover, the World Bank involved in helping financing 70% of the Solid Waste/Environmental management Project (civil work, equipment and materials) to help Government to complete the rehabilitation of the country where the government involved in 30%. After the approval of the National Budget this year, CDR found that he has insufficient funds to pay the local contribution of 30% of civil works, and to pay the custom duties on good and equipment. Contacts with the World Bank have been made to make some modifications within the project and increase their involvement to 90%.

A further constraint in Lebanon is the great need for improved co-ordination between municipalities that together form metropolitan areas, so that joint disposal schemes can be successfully implemented and operated.

The difficulties encountered during this project is the lack of skills and technical knowledge among municipalities about the solid waste management. This can be regarded as one of the major obstacles to the improvement of the current situation. Therefore, environmental education is important when setting up new systems. Many seminars and capacity building, lots of training are planed under SWEMP project to improve the deficient situation of waste disposal.

As for charging, local authorities should impose charges that cover the real costs of waste disposal, including aftercare of landfills. The cost structure should meet operating and depreciation costs. A cost recovery system for operation and maintenance for disposal sites may not be operational in some participating municipalities because of socio-economic constraints.

A special subsidy scheme should also be provided which sets aside funds for recycling and cleaner technology products, and development of cleaner products. This means that recycling sometimes could be supported in such a way that is cheaper to recycle instead of landfill, especially when the duties on landfilling are incorporated too.

Lebanon needs to develop a better integrated solid waste management strategy that rely on the principles of ISO 9000 and 14000 and has a short term transitional action plan to build a basic system of municipal, hospital and industrial waste which adopt proven and reliable technologies.

As a solid waste management system is an integral part of community life, system improvements should be planned in keeping with societal needs, prevailing technology, managerial capability and resource availability. In addition, it is essential to create a level of trust between the public and the institution responsible for waste disposal. This level of trust can be achieved by an early involvement of the public.

Moreover, the new action plan on waste management in the coming years should, besides minimization of waste, reduce of the harmful substances within wastes. Obviously, the amount of waste is increasing. Thus, the focus should be on avoiding such increases and developing higher material efficiency during recovery and reuse, where more is recycled and less is landfilled.

The work reported in this paper is based on the SWEMP project. The author wishes to thank the World Bank who is financing the project, CDR who gave her the chance to present this paper at the workshop and the PCU for their help in preparing the Figures.

References

1. Holmes, J.R. (1984). Managing Solid Wastes in Developing Countries, Chichester, John Wiley & Sons.
2. Libanconsult (1997). Etude D'Impact de la Decharge Controlee de Zahle. Solid Waste/Environmental Management Project. Council for Development and Reconstruction. Republic of Lebanon.
3. World Bank Technical Paper Number 140, (1991). Environmental Assessment Sourcebook, Vol. II, Sectorial Guidelines, Environmental Department. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.