Attachment_J.18_1_LWP_Needs_Assessment_Communal_Water_Services.pdf

LEBANON WATER PROJECT

NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR COMMUNAL WATER SERVICES WITH A

FOCUS ON HOST COMMUNITIES

NOVEMBER 15, 2016

This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DAI Global LLC.

LEBANON WATER PROJECT

NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR COMMUNAL WATER SERVICES

WITH A FOCUS ON HOST COMMUNITIES

Program Title: Lebanon Water Project

Sponsoring USAID Office: Lebanon

Contract Number: AID-268-N-15-00001

Contractor: DAI Global LLC

Date of Publication: NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Author: Lebanon Water Project

DISCLAIMER

The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

CONTENT

ACRONYMS.................................................................................................................. I

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BACKGROUND

THE LEBANON WATER PROJECT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSESSMENT

WATER A RESOURCE UNDER PRESSURE

INTRODUCTION

SCARCE RESOURCES AND FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE

CONSTRAINED REGIONAL WATER ESTABLISHMENTS

MUNICIPALITIES FACING HEAVY PRESSURES

CONCLUSION

FOCUS COMMUNITIES

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITION OF MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF NEEDS

INTRODUCTION

METHODOLOGY

FINDINGS

FINDINGS FROM THE LITERATURE REVIEW

FINDINGS FROM THE CONSULTATION MEETINGS

SYNTHESIS FROM FINDINGS

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTIONS

PROPOSED PROJECTS

INTRODUCTION

SELECTION CRITERIA

COMPILED MATRIX OF SOLUTIONS

PROPOSED PROJECTS

SELECTION RATIONALE

CONCLUSION

ANNEX A: TABLE OF MEETINGS WITH INGOS AND MUNICIPALITIES ... 39

ANNEX B: PROJECTS IDENTIFIED THROUGH LITERATURE REVIEW

ANNEX C: COMPILED MATRIX OF PROJECTS

ANNEX D: MATRIX OF PROJECTS THIRD TO FIFTH MOST VULNERABLE

I

ACRONYMS

ACF Action Contre La Faim

ACTED Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development

ANERA American Near East Refugee Aid

AND Akkar Network for Development

AUB American University of Beirut

BMLWE Beirut Mount Lebanon Water Establishment

BWE Beqaa Water Establishment

CDR Council for Development and Reconstruction

CIL Care International Lebanon

CSO Civil Society Organization

ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

GIZ Gescellschaft fur Internationale Zusmmenarbeit

GVC Gruppo di Volontariato Civile

IOCC International Organization for Church Charities

INGO International Non-Governmental Organization

LCSI Lebanon Civic Support Initiative

LDO Local Development Office

LCRP Lebanon Crisis Response Plan

LWP Lebanon Water Project

LWWSS Lebanon Water and Wastewater Sector Support

MADA MADA Association

MCM Million Cubic Meters

MEDAIR MEDAIR Emergency Relief and Recovery

MoE Ministry of Environment

MoEW Ministry of Energy and Water

MoSA Ministry of Social Affairs

MRR Maps of Risks and Resources

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

NLWE North Lebanon Water Establishment

NWSS National Water Sector Strategy

OTI Office of Transition Initiative

II

PU Premiere Urgence

RWE Regional Water Establishment

SAWA SAWA Group

SLWE South Lebanon Water Establishment

STP Sewage Treatment Plant

UN United Nations

UNDP United Nations Development Program

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF United Nations Children Emergency Funds

UNOCHA United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency

USAID United States Agency for International Development

USD United States Dollar

WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene

WB World Bank

WHO World Health Organization

WISE Water Infrastructure Support and Enhancement

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Lebanon Water Project (LWP) is a five-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the overarching objective of increasing access to clean, reliable, and sustainable sources of drinking water for Lebanese Citizens. LWP will focus on improving Lebanon’s capacity in the management of water resources, enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the public water utilities, and addressing water challenges arising from the impact of the Syrian Refugee influx to Lebanon.

The influx of Syrian refugees amplified pressures on already constrained water resources and associated infrastructure. Increased water withdrawals, illegal connections, and pollution from wastewater led to a reduction in water availability, and a reduction in water supply to host communities. The decline in basic services adversely impacted quality of life and escalated social tensions among local populations and refugees. Needs have surfaced for water supply and sanitation interventions/projects at the level of host communities.

The objective of this assessment is to identify needs and subsequent interventions by LWP that would improve communal water services and alleviate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) related pressures and tensions on most vulnerable host communities in the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon, the two geographical areas with the highest population of refugees and water stress. The aim of the report is to identify priority interventions to improve communal water services This report:

• Describes the process and methodology of the needs assessment conducted.

• Identifies and prioritizes needs related to water, in partnership with the Beqaa Water Establishment (BWE) and North Lebanon Water Establishment (NLWE), municipal governments, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders to improve services to impacted municipalities and communities.

• Selects specific infrastructure projects, which if implemented, will contribute to relieving WASH related pressures from Syrian refugees on host communities in the most vulnerable localities of the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon.

LWP has very limited resources allocated to support host communities. Consequently, LWP has prioritized interventions based on the vulnerability index of host communities as set by United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in 2015. Accordingly, focus communities have been selected among host communities classified as most vulnerable and second most vulnerable. In addition, LWP has focused its assessment on the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon because both regions suffer from a combination of vulnerability as determined by the UNOCHA and high water stress levels as determined by the Ministry of Environment (MoE)1. The assessment relied on the below components:

• Intensive literature review of existing assessments done by different, projects, United Nations (UN) agencies and civil society organizations (CSOs), and business plans of the BWE and NLWE.

• Consultation meetings with CSOs, international organizations, BWE, NLWE, municipalities in the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon, and with Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW).

Through this exercise LWP was able to identify the need for 162 projects in the most vulnerable communities in Lebanon.

Using a set of selection criteria determined by LWP and based on its objectives and available resources, the following seven projects were shortlisted:

1 Op.cit. “Lebanon Environmental Assessment for Syrian Conflict and Priority Interventions”. MoE/EU/UNDP. 2014. Page 61.

• Ghazze: Equipping of an existing well and the installation of a solar system to offset electricity costs.

• Barr Elias: Equipping of an existing well and installation of a solar system to offset electricity costs.

• Qabb Elias: Wetland between Qabb Elias, Makse, and Mrayjet.

• Rayak: Completion of Rayak water distribution network.

• El Marej: Construction of drainage network for rain water.

• Majdlaya: Reduction of pump size from Kadi spring and rehabilitation of Majdlaya network.

• Akkar el Aatika: Connecting Joz spring to water tanks by gravity.

LWP will investigate the feasibility of the selected projects and select six for implementation. In case some of the shortlisted projects cannot be implemented, LWP will resort to the third most vulnerable localities list of identified projects that pass the selection criteria with the aim of implementing the first six feasible interventions.

BACKGROUND

THE LEBANON WATER PROJECT

The Lebanon Water Project (LWP) is a five-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the overarching objective of increasing access to clean, reliable, and sustainable sources of drinking water for Lebanese Citizens. LWP will focus on improving Lebanon’s capacity in the management of water resources, enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the public water utilities, and addressing water challenges arising from the impact of the Syrian Refugee influx to Lebanon. The project will provide technical and capital assistance to relevant stakeholders and counterparts in order to enhance the performance of the water sector in Lebanon. LWP will also promote better water governance as means to help ensure long-term preservation of the Lebanon’s water resources.

LWP’s Objectives

• Improve service delivery and resource management capacity by the five public water utilities. LWP will strengthen the managerial and operational functions of the water utilities, while making the necessary infrastructure upgrades. The project will support the Government of Lebanon’s water sector strategy to further empower public utilities as legitimate water and wastewater services providers.

• Improve civic engagement in water management and advance citizens’ perception of water utilities’ role in providing a necessary and valuable service. The project will promote reform at the policy and regulatory level. This will be a bottom-up approach that strengthens the role of civil society to effectively contribute and participate in democratic water governance. LWP will also increase water users’ awareness and sense of ownership, improve citizens’ responsibilities vis-à-vis water service providers, and promote citizens’ roles and responsibilities with regard to protection of the environment.

• Improve private sector involvement in water management. LWP will promote private sector involvement in water management. The project will identify potential areas for public private and business-to-business partnerships to promote water supply service improvements and develop and fund innovative water conservation technologies.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSESSMENT

The influx of Syrian refugees amplified pressures on already constrained water resources and associated infrastructure. Increased water withdrawals, illegal connections, and pollution from wastewater led to a reduction in water availability, and a reduction in water supply to host communities. The decline in basic services adversely impacted quality of life and escalated social tensions among local populations and refugees. Needs have surfaced for water supply and sanitation interventions/projects, at the level of host communities.

The objective of this assessment is to identify needs and subsequent interventions by LWP that would improve communal water services and alleviate WASH related pressures and tensions on most vulnerable host communities in the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon, the two geographical areas with the highest population of refugees and water stress. The aim of the report is to identify priority interventions to improve communal water services. This report:

• Describes the process and methodology of needs assessment conducted. It comprises an extensive review of existing literature, and meetings with CSOs, UN agencies, regional water establishments (RWEs), and municipalities for information collection and validation. The methodology and tools used for assessing needs have helped LWP get an overview of needs and triangulate multiple sources of information in order to select priority projects that respond to the needs of host communities.

• Identifies and prioritizes needs related to water in partnership with the BWE and NLWE, municipal governments, international/local NGOs, and other stakeholders to improve services to impacted municipalities and communities. Within the list of identified needs in the Beqaa and Akkar (the targeted areas), LWP has identified projects that respond to the needs of host communities and are within the scope of LWP.

• Selects specific infrastructure projects, which if implemented, will contribute to relieving WASH related pressures from Syrian refugees on host communities in the most vulnerable localities of the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon.

WATER A RESOURCE UNDER

PRESSURE

INTRODUCTION

Water is a scarce resource in Lebanon. It is under increasing pressure because of over abstraction and pollution. Available quantities barely suffice local population let along refugees. Historically failing infrastructure is under increased pressure. The Syrian influx and the sudden massive increase in population both in the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon have amplified demand on water, and intensified the production of untreated wastewater, and excessively strained infrastructure.

RWEs and municipalities are failing under the added pressures and consequently, support is needed from the donor community for upgrading water services to host communities.

SCARCE RESOURCES AND FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE

The National Water Sector Strategy (NWSS) of Lebanon (2012) estimates that the available water per capita per year for 2015 is 839 m2, much below the established water poverty threshold of 1,000 m3/ca/year. The NWSS was published in 2012 and therefore the 2015 estimate of water availability did not take into account the increased water needs of Syrian refugees3. Hence, at present, actual water availability is lower than the already low NWSS estimate.

The influx of Syrian refugees has led to an increase in population that was expected only in 20414. The added population of 1.5 million displaced Syrians5 caused a surge in water demand and the production of additional volumes of untreated wastewater. The following recent studies have quantified the above mentioned pressures:

• The World Bank Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) (2013) of Lebanon estimates that, “water supply and sanitation systems must now meet an additional water demand of 26.1 million mᵌ/year, equivalent to 7% of the pre-crisis demand”6.

• The Lebanon Environmental Assessment of the Syrian Conflict and Priority Interventions (2014) estimated that water demand resulting from the increased number of refugees, to be between 43 and 70 Million Cubic Meter (MCM) per year by the end of 20147. This incremental water demand corresponds to an increase of the national water demand between 8 to 12%8. The increase per region is as follows: Beqaa, 7.2 MCM/year, followed by Beirut and Mount Lebanon, at 5.68 MCM/year, the North at 4.46 MCM/year, and the South at 2.77 MCM/year9. Below is an illustrative map developed by the MoEW, United Nations High Committee for Refugees (UNHCR), and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that shows the distribution of water demand by refugees across the

2 “National Water Sector Strategy”. Ministry of Energy and Water. September 2012. Page 7 3 Ibid 4 “Lebanon Environmental Assessment for Syrian Conflict and Priority Interventions”. MOE/EU/UNDP, 2014. Page 4 5 “Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2015-2016”. GoL and UN. December 2015. Page 1 6 “Lebanon Economic and Social Impact Assessment of the Syrian Conflict”. World Bank. September 2013. Page 4.

7 Op.Cit “ Lebanon Environmental Assessment for the Syrian Conflict and Priority Interventions”. Page 4 8 Ibid.

9 Ibid. Page 33 different cazas. The map explicitly indicates the heightened burden of the water sector that is falling on host communities in the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon.

According to the Lebanon Environmental Assessment for Syrian Conflict Priority interventions, in addition to shortages in resource availability, the Syrian refugee influx has had several impacts on the wastewater sector. Refugees contribute to an increase in wastewater generation between 26 and 43 MCM/year based on the May 2014 estimates of number of refugees. These figures are expected to reach between 34 and 56 MCM/year by the end of 2014. This increase corresponds to an increase in national wastewater generation rates between 8 and 14 percent with the Beqaa having the highest share10. Sewage discharge is a challenge in many host communities, especially in peripheral areas. A significant number of

10 Ibid. Page 65.

Figure 1 - Distribution of Refugee's Water Demand across Cazas

Syrian refugees live in informal settlements on agricultural lands where wastewater networks are absent.

This makes it very difficult for municipalities to discharge the increasing amount of produced wastewater11 into existing systems. It also has an increased pollution impact on surface and groundwater, and in the absence of sufficient wastewater treatment facilities, it is reducing available water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use.

Municipal solid waste has had its fair share in the reduction of available fresh water. Increased disposal of untreated municipal solid waste in open dumps and in river beds has contributed to the reduction of available water through leachate flow into surface and groundwater. The dump sites with the highest impact on groundwater contamination are mainly in Srar, Berqayel, Aadoui, Kfar zaina and Hamat in the North; Baalbeck, Taalbaya, Saadnayel, Barr Elias, Qabb Elias, Ghazze in the Beqaa; Ras el Ain and Kfar Tibnit in the South12.

CONSTRAINED REGIONAL WATER ESTABLISHMENTS

Law 221 and its amendments created four Regional Water Establishments: Beirut Mount Lebanon Water Establishment (BMLWE), NLWE, South Lebanon Water Establishment (SLWE), and BWE. RWEs were given the following responsibilities among others:

• Plan, build, operate, and maintain potable and irrigation water transmission and distribution networks as well as sewage treatment plants (STPs) and networks.

• Ensure the quality of water supplied to their communities.

RWEs faced infrastructural and institutional shortcomings even prior to the Syrian crisis, as described in the NWSS. The average overall performance of RWEs was at 50% and their ability to provide water to their consumers and treat the ensuing wastewater was, and still is, highly constrained.

RWEs have major challenges related to infrastructure. Production of water is limited due to restricted resources and suboptimal exploitation, which are coupled with significant demand growth. Transmission and distribution is inefficient owing to poorly maintained systems and networks. This leads to high losses and supply interruptions. Finally, the coverage of wastewater networks is low and there is a severe shortage in treatment facilities. As a result of this communal water needs assessment, LWP will be helping the RWEs to alleviate some of these infrastructural burdens.

As for institutional challenges, they pertain to financial, legal and regulatory, environmental, awareness, and sustainable management.

To make matters worse, the influx of Syrian refugees is putting considerable pressure on the ability of the RWEs to fulfill their role and manage and deliver sufficient water to meet the needs of both Lebanese residents and refugees. Practically, Syrian refugees tend to use water resources through illegal connections or evade the payment of bills.

As shown in Figure 2 below, the BWE and the NLWE, were already in 2013, confronted with 10 to 20% reduction in service with the obvious negative impact on water availability to host communities.

11 “The Syrian Crisis: Implications for Development Indicators and Development Planning- Lebanon”. UNDP. October 2012.

Pages. 32 - 34 12 Op. Cit “Lebanon Environmental Assessment for the Syrian Conflict and Priority Interventions”. Pages 44,45.

Figure 2 - Syrian Refugees Impact

Regional Water Establishments BWE NLWE

Population in service area 2013 534,255 923,362

Nb. Of registered refugees Sept.2013 (UNHCR ) 216,000 210,000

Projected population growth over 5 years 9% 9%

% population growth in one year due to Syrian refugees

40% 23%

% increase in water production to cover the needs of registered refugees

49% 35%

% reduction in service coverage From 68% to 46 % From 57% to 46%

MUNICIPALITIES FACING HEAVY PRESSURES

Municipalities are at the forefront of engagement with Syrian refugees, and in parallel, they bear the load of their displeased communities. According to the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) published in 2015, the WASH sector is appealing for USD 231.4 million to respond to the needs of host communities and Syrian refugees13. This amount shows the magnitude of existing pressures. The UNDP Syrian Crisis report (October 2012) highlighted the fact that while most municipalities initially have limited resources, they have become strained by supplementary expenditures on operations that include maintenance works for water and sanitation. WASH related pressures are particularly acute in municipalities and communities in the Akkar region of Northern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, the main focus regions of this report.

MOUNTING TENSIONS IN LEBANON

Security has become a worrying challenge to municipalities. Tensions are mounting between Syrian refugees and host communities. In 2015, the conflict mapping and analysis projects in collaboration with UNDP has identified social tension incidents across Lebanon as illustrated in Figure 3.

As clearly highlighted in Figure 3 below, the area with the highest occurrence of conflict is the Beqaa, followed by Beirut, the South, and then the North14. Tackling the vulnerable localities in the Beqaa may perhaps help reduce conflicts.

13 LCRP WASH sector response plan.

14 Map – Lebanon, a year in conflict CSKC

Map 1 Mapping of conflict incidents (2015)

Figure 3 - Mapping of Conflict Incidents (2015)

CONCLUSION

Already scarce resources are becoming increasingly unavailable due to intensified demand, pollution with untreated waste, and overloaded infrastructure. RWEs and municipalities, limited in resources, are unable to meet the water demand and sanitation services of the local population, let alone those of the refugees.

There is a need to provide support to RWEs (BWE and NLWE specifically) and selected most vulnerable municipalities so that pressures are alleviated, relieving both host communities and refugees.

Interventions are much needed to increase water availability through efficient and sustainable management of the resource, and through improving sanitation services, reducing pollution reduction, and upgrading infrastructure.

THE GHAZZE SITUATION

FOCUS COMMUNITIES

INTRODUCTION

LWP has very limited resources allocated to support host communities. Consequently, LWP has prioritized interventions based on the vulnerability index of host communities as set by UNOCHA in 2015. Accordingly, focus communities have been selected among host communities classified as most vulnerable and second most vulnerable. In addition, LWP has focused its assessment on the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon because both regions suffer from a combination of vulnerability as determined by the UNOCHA and high water stress levels as determined by the MoE15.

DEFINITION OF MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

The UN Inter-Agency Coordination has assessed and mapped the presence of Syrian refugees over the Lebanese territory, and developed a vulnerability index for host communities. The most vulnerable and second most vulnerable communities were identified using the aforementioned assessment. The results are represented in the map below (UNOCHA, March 2015). Vulnerability was calculated using the following parameters:

• The Multi-Deprivation Index: it takes into account deprivation level scoring of households in five critical dimensions: a) access to health services, b) income level, c) access to education services, d) access to water and sanitation services, and e) housing conditions.

• The Lebanese Population Dataset: it is based on the Council of Development and Reconstruction

(CDR) 2002.

• The Refugee Population Figures: they are based on the UNHCR database for Syrians as of November 2014, and on the American University Beirut (AUB)/United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) figure of 270,000 for Palestinian refugees.

In total, UN agencies have identified 251 most vulnerable localities (2015 assessment) classified under five sections as illustrated in Figure 4 below:

Figure 4 - "Most Vulnerable" Classification

Deprived Lebanese Refugees

Most vulnerable localities 35.8% 54.1%

2nd most vulnerable localities 12.8% 15.8%

3rd most vulnerable localities 7.6% 7.7%

4th most vulnerable localities 6.4% 5.4%

5th most vulnerable localities 4.9% 3.7%

15 Op.cit. “Lebanon Environmental Assessment for Syrian Conflict and Priority Interventions”. MoE/EU/UNDP. 2014. Page 61.

Figure 5 was used by LWP to select intervention communities.

Figure 5 - 251 Most Vulnerable Localities in Lebanon (2015)

METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS

FOR IDENTIFICATION OF

NEEDS

INTRODUCTION

Information and data from a multitude of sources was reviewed and analyzed for triangulation and for the determination of a final list of WASH needs of first and second most vulnerable communities. The section below describes the methodology used to identify and select the most suitable and adequate projects for LWP interventions.

METHODOLOGY

The assessment relied on the below components:

• Intensive literature review of existing assessments done by different projects, UN agencies, and CSOs, and business plans of the BWE and NLWE.

• Consultation meetings with CSOs, International Organizations, BWE, NLWE, municipalities in the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon, and with MoEW.

Based on the methodology, the assessment approach can be described as follows:

• Collection of data on projects needed from literature review and consultations with CSOs.

• Triangulation of data with RWEs, MoEW, and municipalities.

• Analysis and synthesis of information to develop a projects matrix with the relevant selection criteria.

• Development of the final list of projects.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The following reports were reviewed by LWP as a source for identification of needs of host communities.

The Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2015-2016

The Government of Lebanon along with the UN worked together on developing a multi-year plan to address the stabilization challenges of the country, while taking into account key protection and humanitarian issues, livelihoods, and country threats to security. The results of this work (mainly outcomes and no specific interventions) were compiled in a 2-year response plan report: the “Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP)”.

The Rapid Assessment of Water Service Needs of Lebanese Communities Hosting Syrian Refugees and Emergency Preparedness of Water Establishments. (WISE-Lebanon)

This report was drafted by The Water Infrastructure Support and Enhancement for Lebanon (WISE – Lebanon) program. WISE was a three-year activity funded by USAID with the objective of improving Lebanon’s capacity in the management of water resources through water infrastructure upgrades and related management support.

USAID requested that WISE conduct a rapid assessment of the communities served by RWEs and affected by the Syrian Refugee Influx. The objective was to propose integrated interventions aiming at raising the capacities of the RWEs to cope with increasing water demand on local water resources caused by the Syrian crisis.

The UNDP Mapping of Risks and Resources in the Beqaa and North of Lebanon

The Mapping of Risks and Resources (MRR) is a conflict sensitive needs assessment methodology adopted by Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) and UNDP in order to facilitate dialogue and collaboration between stakeholders at local level. The objective of MRRs was to propose solutions to identified risks and needs of host communities. LWP selected projects from the North and Beqaa MRRs sections pertaining to WASH within the most vulnerable communities.

The BWE and NLWE Business Plans 2013 – 2017

In the past, Gescellshaft fur Internationale Zusmmenarbeit (GIZ) had worked with the four RWEs to develop and update their 5-year business plans. The plans included a focus on strategic objectives, water demand management analysis and forecast, performance improvement programs, organization structure and staffing plan, operation and maintenance budget forecast, and revenue needs and tariff analysis.

The Naseej Committee Priority Project Report

The Office of Transition Initiative (OTI) Program Lebanese Civic Support Initiative (LCSI) launched the Naseej project in 2013. The objective was to create a platform where Akkar residents, Lebanese and Syrian, can engage with local government and collectively identify community needs. Projects responding to recognized community needs were identified and published in a booklet that LWP relied on.

The Women & Water Report: A survey of gender as it relates to water, sanitation and hygiene in Beqaa, Lebanon

The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Balamand, Beirut and Care International has carried out a study in Zahle, West Beqaa, and Rashaya in order to better understand the relations between WASH and gender. The results were compiled in the Woman and Water Report. This report is the only reference identifying the specific needs of women in host and refugee communities.

CONSULTATION MEETINGS WITH CSOS, RWES AND MUNICIPALITIES

Civil society organizations working in the WASH sector were selected based on the map (Figure 6) that was developed by UN agencies identifying the various actors in each Lebanese Caza16.

16 WASH Sector. Inter-agency coordination. June 2015

Figure 6 - CSOs Intervening in the WASH Sector in the Lebanese Cazas

LWP contacted around 35 CSOs, I/NGOs, and other organizations mostly working in the Beqaa and Northern Lebanon. Among those contacted were: World Vision, Gruppo di Volontariato Civile (GVC), Intersos, Leb Relief, Action Against Hunger, SAWA Group (SAWA), Atayeb el Rif, Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), Solidarite Internationale, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), Mercy Corps, MEDAIR Emergency Relief and Recovery (MEDAIR), Safadi Foundation, Akkar Network for Development (AND), Local Development Office (LDO), MADA Association (MADA), United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), International Organization for Church Charities (IOCC), LRC, Care International, Premiere Urgence (PU), UTOPIA, Oxfam., UNHCR, and UNDP (Further details can be found under Annex A).

Meetings were held with the BWE, the NLWE and municipalities to discuss needs and validate the findings of this assessment. A long list of projects was prepared based on the literature review and these meetings. A draft of preliminary selection of projects in most vulnerable and second most vulnerable localities was discussed with the BWE, the NLWE and municipalities to validate the selected localities and projects.

FINDINGS

The findings are listed in three main sections that reflect our methodology for data and information collection and that come from: the literature review, the outcomes of the meetings with CSOs, municipalities, RWEs, and MoEW.

FINDINGS FROM THE LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature review, as shown below, identifies access to water as the number one priority for host communities, followed by the need for wastewater networks and treatment. Few entities also reported the need for irrigation projects.

The LCRP has adopted sectors of intervention, instead of projects, in its appeal for donor funds. WASH relevant outcomes of the LCRP are listed below:

• Outcome 2: Provide access to safe water.

• Outcome 3: Increase access to improved, sustainable, culturally, and gender appropriate sanitation services including wastewater management, vector control and mitigation of flood risks (storm water drainage) for target population.

• Outcome 4: Mitigate impacts of the Syrian crisis on the environment in Lebanon, including on air quality and land use, and management of solid waste.

• Outcome 5: Maintain hygienic conditions.

The USAID funded WISE project, the UNDP MRRs, the Business Plans of BWE and NLWE and the report of the NASEEJ Committees Priority Projects a prior USAID initiative led by Al- Hadatha Association, have identified specific infrastructure projects in different villages. These projects also focused on access to water, wastewater networks and treatment, irrigation and rain water collection and drainage. Just as in the LCRP, these projects consider access to water as the number one priority. In fact, 65% of the total projects focused on access to water, followed by 25% for wastewater networks. The rest (10%) were related to rain water drainage canals and irrigation. Projects identified through the literature review are listed in Annex B.

As for The “Women and Water” report of CARE International and the University of Balamand, it also clearly identifies access to water as a priority need of the women populations of host communities and Syrian refugees. According to this report, the lack of water availability has increased financial and family time burdens on households. Women spend family time and money trying to either find or purchase water. They are not able to wash properly, a critical concern during menstrual periods. In addition, polluted water has led to the spread of disease in women and children, and wasteful use of water could be the source of dispute between husbands and wives, triggering domestic conflict.

FINDINGS FROM THE CONSULTATION MEETINGS

FINDINGS FROM CONSULTATIONS WITH CSOS

Specific assessments, by CSOs, related to the need of host communities are practically inexistent. This fact was reinforced during a meeting with UNICEF, where the Senior WASH Specialist (Water Scarcity and Stabilization), Mrs. Sarah Bish, confirmed the scarcity of reports pertaining to Host Communities.

The assessments conducted by CSOs covered only the WASH needs of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, such as assessments conducted by the Action Contre la Faim (ACF) “Humanitarian Response to the Syrian refugees” (2012) in Beqaa, the ACTED “Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese households” (2012) in the North of Lebanon, and the CISP “WASH Assessment report for North and South

Lebanon” (2012). Despite this lack of information, LWP was able to explore the few findings available that were determined by the CSOs working within the identified most vulnerable communities in Beqaa and Akkar.

LDO conducted a screening of needs in Akkar, which included five of the most vulnerable areas in North of Lebanon. Leb Relief and SAWA identified needs of host communities through local committees that they established. Additionally, the Lebanese Red Cross reported that they have observed similar needs between Syrian refugees and host communities in the areas where they operate. NGOs, such as World Vision, relied on the business plans of RWEs and needs lists provided by municipalities to determine interventions with host communities. All these identified needs, however, have not been published in official reports. For this reason, LWP team decided to validate the gathered data through site visits in order to gain a better understanding of the actual situation and reach its own conclusions.

Following the literature review and the meetings with CSOs, and armed with a list of 89 identified projects, the LWP team then conducted meetings and site visits with the RWE, municipalities, and the MoEW. Details of the identified projects can be found in Annex C.

FINDINGS FROM CONSULTATIONS WITH MUNICIPALITIES

In addition to the meetings with CSOs, LWP met with a number of municipalities in order to validate the findings from the literature review, and explore further needs within these communities. Through these meetings the LWP team gained insight as to the impact of the Syrian refugees on local communities.

Below are the most important findings from these consultations:

• The number of Syrian refugees reported by municipalities was always higher than UNHCR’s recorded numbers.

• In most cases, the municipalities are not prepared to handle such crisis, as they do not have the proper know-how to comprehensively assess their needs and report back to the government and/or donor agencies.

• As mentioned previously in the literature review section, municipalities are faced with overwhelming responsibilities, such as collecting the solid waste and wastewater of refugees, while prior to the crisis, their infrastructure barely allowed them to handle their local community needs.

• Some municipalities reported complete disconnection with RWEs, since they are, themselves managing water supply and maintenance in their communities. Other municipalities reported an insufficient level of communication with RWEs.

• Some municipalities did not have adequate information on the distribution and separation of roles and responsibilities between them and the RWEs. Facilitating closer communications between the RWEs and these municipalities is a definite necessity.

LWP will take into account these findings while executing and implementing the identified projects.

FINDINGS FROM CONSULTATIONS WITH RWES

In order to identify the priority interventions of RWEs as it pertains to improved communal water services within host communities, LWP met with both the BWE and NLWE. The outcome of these meetings for LWP was that NLWE identified Akkar, Majdlaya, Abou Samra Tripoli, Markebta and Minie, as priority localities for intervention. Similarly, BWE identified Ghazzeh, Taalabaya, Saadnayel, and Qabb Elias as priority areas of intervention.

FINDINGS FROM CONSULTATIONS WITH MOEW

As part of its assessment process, LWP consulted with MoEW for the identification of projects. The ministry had developed its own vulnerability index and shared the list of the most vulnerable localities with LWP. When comparing it to the UN identified list, underprivileged communities were the same.

Additionally, the advisor to the minister stated that the most vulnerable localities are over-served by a multitude of donor agencies, while other areas are being disregarded. Projects identified as needs by MoEW can be found in Annex D.

SYNTHESIS FROM FINDINGS

NEEDS IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

Sustainable and integrated water resources management warrant the engagement of stakeholders in the decision making process. When conducting their assessments, most agencies and CSOs (and funding for implementation) focused mainly on the needs of Syrian refugees and ignored, for the most part, the needs of host communities. Also, in cases such as the MRRs which were conducted in vulnerable communities, the needs of host communities were identified based on and in relation to the existence of refugees, and with the perspective of alleviating pressures resulting from the presence of refugees.

INVOLVED STAKEHOLDERS

CSOs, International Organizations, municipalities, and RWEs were all involved and cooperated, to different extents, in the needs identification process. This involvement is seen at the RWEs level and the municipalities level.

• At the RWEs level, and when it comes to implementing water related interventions, especially access to water and wastewater, implementing organizations are collaborating with RWEs. This collaboration is guided by law 221 that gave the RWEs the oversight over water management in the five Mouhafazat of Lebanon. Hence, most of international organizations are coordinating with BWE and NLWE for their operations all over Lebanon in general and within the most vulnerable host communities in particular. Namely UNICEF, ACF, Solidarite Internationale, Leb Relief, ACTED, IOCC, Care International, Oxfam, and PU are in close coordination with RWEs. Finally, it was most obvious that both BWE and NLWE fully understood these communal needs and had identified mitigating measures and solutions, which could be implemented.

• At the municipal level, local CSOs have a close collaboration with the local authorities represented by the municipal councils within the most vulnerable areas. Organizations with a significant collaboration with municipalities were: AND, LDO, SAWA, UTOPIA, Leb Relief. Contrary to the RWEs, while fully aware of their needs, these municipalities were unsure about solutions and remedies.

• Another important finding is the fact that some INGOs such as ACF and Care International Lebanon (CIL) are in the process of identifying the most suitable approach to engage with both municipalities and RWEs and bridge the gap between those two local authorities.

• Most NGOs have mentioned the current need to scale up the level of work with host communities especially with the current shift in approach from relief to stabilization.

IDENTIFIED PRIORITY NEEDS

The main focus of this needs assessment, as dictated by the nature of the LWP project, is water.

Identified projects relate to water supply, wastewater treatment, irrigation, and rainwater drainage.

Lebanon Relief Council (LRC) were identified as a unique case, operating at a grass roots level, while maintaining a strong partnership with NLWE. LRC has worked mainly on the needs of the local population. They have engaged people in the poorest suburbs of Tripoli through meetings with each and every concerned citizen. Representative committees were elected by the community at large. These committees help the NLWE and the municipality in identifying priority needs and in engaging the population during implementation of projects so that barriers to execution are removed. A close involvement of local population in water management has shown high success in the selection and implementation of WASH related projects.

Of the 89 identified projects, 65% were related to access to water and 25% are for wastewater. The remaining projects addressed irrigation and awareness raising. Thus, the main needs identified can be summarized as follows:

• Access to water: it was clear that access to water, as identified in the literature review, and meetings with CSOs, RWEs and municipalities, was the main concern for the host communities.

• Wastewater disposal systems: these systems were in second place followed by the need to have access to proper wastewater disposal systems.

• Very few projects pertain to the needs of the agricultural sector.

Based on these needs, LWP applied its selection criteria in order to sort and chose projects from the list of 89. The outcome of the refined list resulted in the identification of seven potential projects.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTIONS

Following the literature review and consultation, LWP had two recommendations for future actions:

• Institutionalize civic engagement and local participatory water resource planning and management in the RWEs.

• Build the capacity of municipalities in strategic integrated water resource management.

These recommendations are detailed below.

INSTITUTIONALIZE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

The MoEW and the RWEs should build on the civic engagement momentum created by the Syrian crisis and institutionalize a process of participatory planning of water resources. In fact, one of the positive outcomes of the Syrian crisis and the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon was the initiation of a previously inexistent, public consultation process for the identification of needs. This process brought together, populations, municipalities, RWEs, CSOs, line ministries, international organizations, and the donor community. With the support of CSOs and other stakeholders, it is prime time to strengthen the engagement of RWEs with municipalities and through them, their communities involving them in determining needs under the umbrella of integrated management of water resources.

Municipalities are the interface between water users and RWEs and they have shown eagerness to get involved in any which way possible to improve access to water and sanitation. Participatory planning and management of water resources has proven its success globally and currently in Lebanon, it is opportune to institutionalize it. As an example, and although still embryonic, the experience of bottom-up engagement of the population by LRC and the creation of representative committee has been successful.

It has shown the positive impact of participation in planning, and especially implementing water related infrastructure project. Lebanon can build on such successful experiences in the region and globally.

BUILD THE CAPACITY OF MUNICIPALITIES IN STRATEGIC INTEGRATED

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

The current process of needs and project identification by municipalities is closer to a wish list than to a strategic plan that takes into consideration resource availability and its sustainable management. The Syrian crisis took the municipalities by surprise. It exposed their incapacity to properly identify needs even within their constituency without international support. Strategic planning and programming of needs and projects should be at the core of municipal work and not just in response to emergencies.

The process of engagement between CSOs, municipalities and RWEs that was triggered by the Syrian crisis should be developed into a long term partnership between RWEs and municipalities. Municipalities can provide support to RWEs in increasing the number of subscribers and the payment of fees, and in parallel identify and communicate needs.

For this reason, this process should be institutionalized and the capacity of municipalities built accordingly. At this point, municipal needs and subsequent plans can be used by Ministries, RWEs, international donors and organizations to provide prioritized support to local governments.

This capacity building approach should be expanded to all municipalities in Lebanon and form coherent strategic plans, ensuring proper water and sanitation services in normal and potential crisis situations with a strong perspective on resources needed to implement them.

PROPOSED PROJECTS

INTRODUCTION

This section details the selection process of projects. The first segment describes the selection criteria though which projects were assessed in order to develop the short list. A compiled matrix of solutions follows the selection criteria. It is a list of all the identified projects and their relevant scores. The last section “proposed projects” is the final shortlist of interventions s to be further evaluated for feasibility by LWP.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All proposed projects identified through literature review and meetings with CSOs, RWEs, and municipalities are needed to improve water services in most vulnerable communities in Lebanon.

However, given the limited resources and time available, LWP will be selecting at least six projects for implementation. The selection will be based on specific criteria that reflect the mandate of LWP and focus areas. Infrastructure projects will be complemented with interventions with relevant municipalities and populations.

Following are the project selection criteria used by LWP:

• Falls within one or more LWP thematic areas:

- Improve service delivery and resource management capacity by the five public water utilities;

- Improve civic engagement in water management and advance citizens’ perception of water utilities’ role in providing a necessary and valuable service;

- Improve private sector involvement in water management.

• Falls within the most vulnerable localities identified by UNOCHA.

• Benefits number of beneficiaries with a focus on gender equality.

• Fulfills the needs of and/or is approved by BWE and NLWE.

• Accepted by the local population.

• Reflects a high cost/benefit ratio.

• Falls within the bracket of allocated budget of LWP: Between USD 100,000 and USD 300,000.

• Sustainable environmentally and financially beyond the life of the project.

• Demonstrates an innovative approach.

• Reduces water consumption and increases water availability.

• Fulfills all legal and basic requirements.

• Possibility of cost sharing/matching by municipalities and/or NGOs or other donors.

• Does not fall in a high security risk area.

Among the above mentioned criteria there are four pass/fail criteria. Projects failing any of these would not be considered for implementation.

Figure 7 details the Pass and Fail criteria:

Figure 7 - Pass/Fail Criteria

Selection Criteria Pass Fail

Fall within the thematic areas of

LWP (P/F)

Falls within the thematic areas of

LWP

Does not fall within the thematic areas of LWP

Legal Requirements (ex: deed...)

(P/F)

Basic and legal requirements are satisfied

A project is considered complicated if:

1. Falls within an area where previous projects were unsuccessful

2. Requires expropriation

3. For wastewater projects, there is no wastewater treatment plant that the network can connect to

4. Is low impact and does not justify procurement overheads

5. Overlaps with CDR areas of intervention

6. Any additional complication that arises during the project examination and is justified and deemed as complicated by LWP technical and /or infrastructure team

Does not fall in high risk security areas (P/F)

Does not fall in high risk security areas

Falls within the following high risk security areas: Arsal, Brital, Baalbek, Southern Suburbs of Beirut, Northern border areas17

Within allocated budget (P/F) Falls within the allocated budget (between 100,000 USD and 300,000

USD)

Falls below or above the allocated budget

17 http://lebanon.usembassy.gov http://lebanon.usembassy.gov/

In addition to the pass/fail criteria, the project selection has nine rated criteria. Figure 8 explains in detail the rating scales.

Figure 8 - Rating Scales

Rate

Criteria 0 1 2 3 4 5

# of beneficiaries (0-5)

Serves less than 50 beneficiaries

Serves between 50 and 500 beneficiaries

Serves between 500 and 2,000 beneficiaries

Serves between 2,000 to 5,000 beneficiaries

Serves between 5,000 and 10,000 beneficiaries

Serves more than 10,000 beneficiaries

Gender Equality (0-5)

Completely overlooks gender equality

Target women's needs as part of the general community

Targets Women through access to water projects

Targets women through access to water and wastewater projects

Has a dedicated component targeting women's needs

Focuses entirely on women's needs

Environment ally and financially sustainable beyond the life of the project (0-2)

Is not sustainable beyond the life of the…