[1][2][3] Due to its impact on the environment, archaeological sites, agriculture as well as seismic risk the dam project has faced opposition from civil society, political parties, adjacent municipalities and also internationally.
[6] The area of Greater Beirut is at the moment supplied by the karstic limestone aquifers of Mount Lebanon from the cavern outflows at Jeita and piped to the capital via the Dbaiyeh Treatment Plant.
On average, the Litani basin carries around 700 MCM of water flow annually (based on 25 years of measurements from 1941 to 1971).
The specific amounts are as follows: The World Bank [4] is an international financial institution that provides loans[5] to countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
The government then identifies the country's priorities and targets for the reduction of poverty, and the World Bank aligns its aid efforts correspondingly.
IDB Group is engaged in a wide range of specialized and integrated activities such as: Project financing in the public and private sectors; development assistance for poverty alleviation; technical assistance for capacity-building; economic and trade cooperation among member countries; trade financing; SME financing; resource mobilization; direct equity investment in Islamic financial institutions; insurance and reinsurance coverage for investment and export credit; research and training programs in Islamic economics and banking; awqaf investment and financing; special assistance and scholarships for member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries; emergency relief; and advisory services for public and private entities in member countries.
After missing many deadlines for satisfying the conditions for the World Bank loan, the World Bank terminated its funding to the project, citing three reasons: 1) The ecological compensation plan was not finalized with the involvement of relevant stakeholders; 2) the maintenance and operation plan was not finalized; and 3) the contractor was not mobilized by the agreed upon deadline.
[11][12] With the construction of the Bisri dam, the Lebanese government aims to reduce the chronic water shortages that still affect the country.
According to the World Bank, the dam will provide the 1.6 million people who live across the Greater Beirut & Mount Lebanon (GBML) with better access to water.
It will especially increase the purchasing power of the 460,000 people of this region who live on less than $4 a day by reducing reliance on water bottles and tanks.
[2][11] The Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction carried out an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) as a part of the project preparation.
[2] Nevertheless, these measures have failed to convince a substantial proportion of civil society, which claims that the development of the Bisri dam is mired with corruption.
Affected inhabitants are able to raise complaints and seek remedies through this mechanism, which is thoroughly monitored by the World Bank as well as independent environmental and social expert panels.
The panel consists of internationally acclaimed technical experts specializing in dam engineering, geology, and seismology.
According to the World Bank, this is based on a thorough ecological investigation including all major levels: amphibians, reptiles, macro-invertebrates, and location and habitat usage details on flora, mammals, birds, and fish.
The Ministry of Environment and a specialized team of environmental experts collaborate closely on monitoring the ESMP in relation to biodiversity.
[2] A number of cultural and archaeological sites such as the Mar Moussa church and the remains of the Saint Sophia monastery are impacted by the construction of the Bisri dam.
Under the supervision of the Lebanese Directorate General of Antiquities, these archaeological sites will be investigated, documented, and preserved as required.
Activists fear that the creation of the Bisri Dam will harm at least fifty archaeological sites and various green areas.
The campaign demands that the World Bank withdraws its financial support for the Bisri Dam, that the Lebanese government aborts the project and adopts alternative water management solutions.
[15] According to the Campaign, around 57% of the impacted area holds a productive agricultural activity, with an estimated US$125 million of annual revenue, which would be brought to naught by the dam's completion.
[15] Roland Riachi, the Campaign's coordinator, explained in an interview that the region's porous rocks may prevent the dam from storing water.
This includes fixing the network's physical failures, reforming the groundwater sector, investing in submarine springs as well as in nature-based solutions for water.
The World Bank stated to be continuously committed to conversations with non-governmental organisations that oppose the Bisri dam project.
The two main reasons for this decision are: 1) the volume of the reservoir and its annual recharge is sufficient to meet the predicted needs of the area to 2030 and beyond; 2) the Bisri-Awali valley is located so that it can use existing transmission lines, treatment plant, and bulk storage reservoirs, thereby increasing the water supply efficiency and return on the investment.
The construction of the Bisri dam is therefore one of a number of coordinated efforts made to ensure water security in these areas at least until 2035.