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1. BAU –ENVI004
Chapter 2
Lebanon, Geographic Profile,
Climate Profile, Main Natural
Resources
Dr.Rola Najib

2. Geographic Profile
•Lebanon is located on the eastern basin of the
Mediterranean Sea with a surface area of 10,452 km2.
•It’s bordered in the North and East by Syriaand in the
South by Palestine.
•It is divided into eight administrative regions called
Mouhafazas: Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon,
South Lebanon, Bekaa, Akkar, Baalbak-Hermel, and
Nabatieh.

3. Geographic Profile

4. Precipitation
•LebanonistypicallycharacterizedbyaMediterraneanclimatewithprecipitationmainly
occurringbetweenthemonthsofOctoberandMarch.
•Lebanonhasfourdrymonths–June,July,August,andSeptember–duringwhichwater
availabilityislimited.
•Lebanon is witnessing signs of decreasing precipitationand increasing drought.
Climate Profile

5. Temperature
Theaverage monthly temperature and precipitation in Lebanon.

6. Annual available resources (Million cubic meters Mm3)
Water Resources

7. Rivers
•Lebanonhas16perennialrivers
and23seasonalrivers.
•Thetotalannualriverflowis
about3,900millionm³.
•Lebanon’s highest river flows are
Nahrel Litani, NahrIbrahim, and
Nahrel Assi.
Water Resources

8. Springs
•Lebanon has around 2,000 springs.
•Total yearly yield: over 1,200 million m³
(MOEW, 2010).
•Only less than 200 million m³ available
during summer.
•Springs are the main source of surface
water supply.
Water Resources

9. Wetland
•Defined as areas where water covers
the soil all year or seasonally.
•They act as water reservoirs.
•AmmiqWetland in the BekaaValley is
Lebanon’s most significant wetland.
Water Resources

12. Groundwater
•GroundwaterisacriticalwaterresourceinLebanon,servingasaprimarysource
fordrinking,agriculture,andindustry.
•Snowcoveristhemainsourceofrecharge,supplementedbyrainwater
percolation.
•Lebanonhasidentified51groundwaterbasins,with45beingproductive.
•Publicwellsnumberaround1.325,with640operational,extractinganestimated
260millioncubicmetersannually.
•Publicwatersupplyisinsufficient,leadingtoincreasedrelianceonprivatewater
sources.
•Over-abstractionofgroundwaterhasoccurred,withabout70%ofwellsestimated
tobeillegalduetoweakenforcement.
•Challenges:overexploitation,pollution,andinadequatemanagementthreaten
theirsustainability.
Water Resources

13. Water Resources
Groundwater
Annual yield of licensed private wells
Annual yield of illegal private wells
Annual yield of public wells

14. Water Resources
Environmental stresses on water resources

15. ▪Lebanon’s arable land is about one-thirdof total land area.
▪Major crop regions:
-Coastal strip:citrus, bananas, vegetables(mostly greenhouse-grown).
-Akkarplains: cereals, potatoes, grapes, vegetables.
-Central Bekaavalley: potatoes, vegetables, grapevine, stone fruits, grains.
-Mountainous regions: fruit orchards, vegetables.
-Southern hills: olives, grains, tobacco, almonds.
Agriculture

16. Agriculture
Distribution of crop area by governorate

17. ▪Lebanon is a net exporterof vegetables and fresh fruits: lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber,
oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, cherries.
Agriculture
Lebanese vegetable exports (HS08) to the main markets, in
1,000 euros (CBI, 2016)

18. •Smallruminants(goats,sheep)constitutes
thelargestlivestocknumber,mainlyin
BekaaandNorthLebanon.
•Mainlivestockproductsincluderedmeat,
poultrymeat,milkanditsderivatives,eggs,
honey,andfish.
•Thequantitiesproducedmeetasmallpart
ofthelocalconsumptiondemand.
Consequently,thecountryreliesonthe
importofanimalproductstomeetthe
overallconsumptiondemand.
Agriculture
Number of livestock heads by type

19. Challenges
▪Limitedpublicsectorsupport:only1–3%ofannualbudgetgoestoagriculture
services.
▪Lowinvestorandyouthengagementinthesector.
▪Livestockproductionislimited;importsneededtomeetlocaldemand.
Agriculture

20. ▪ForestCoverage:
-Forestscover13%ofLebanon’ssurface(136,348ha).
-OtherWoodedLands:20%.
▪MainForestSpecies:
-Oaks(Quercusspp.):41.61%(dominantspecies).
-Pines(Pinusspp.):20.28%.
-Cedars(Cedruslibani):only1.6%.
▪SpecialFeatures:
-ForestsarehighlydiverseanduniqueinthearidEasternMediterranean
context.
-Richinaromatic,wild,andmedicinalplants.
▪CedarForests:receivenational,regional,andinternationalprotectionand
attentionduetotheirhistoric,symbolic,andbiologicalvalue.
Forestry

21. Main threats facing forests in Lebanon
•Illegalloggingandfirewooddemand.
•Wildfires:Increasedfrequencyandseverityoffires,amplifiedbyheatwaves,
drought,andpoorforestmanagement.
•Pestsandclimatechange.
•Urbanizationandquarries.
•Overgrazingandunsustainablepractices.
Forestry

22. HorshEhdenNature Reserve
BentaelNature Reserve Jabal Moussa Nature Reserve
Forestry
Al ShoufCedar Nature Reserve
YammounehNature ReserveTannourineCedars Nature Reserve

23. Forestry
Karm ChbatNature Reserve Wadi HujairNature Reserve Palm island Nature Reserve

24. ▪Lebanonproduces~1.56milliontonnesof
municipalsolidwaste(MSW)annually.
▪Illegaldumpinganduncontrolledburningof
wastearecommonpractices.
▪Thesepracticesharmflora,fauna,and
habitats.
▪They deteriorate local air quality.
Solid waste
Waste management systems in Lebanon by region

25. •Tourismisahistoricallyimportantandmajorrevenue
sourceforLebanon.
•Touristscomefromaroundtheworld,especiallyArab
statesandEuropeancountries.
•Lebanon’stemperateclimateattractsmanyArab
tourists.
•Tourismandrecreationtakedifferentforms,influenced
byclimateandclimatechange.
•Tourisminfrastructureisconcentratedin:High
mountains(skiresorts,winterchalets)andhills
overlookingBeirutandthecoast.
•Thetourismsectorisactivethroughouttheyear,witha
peakinJulyandAugust.
Tourism

26. Tourism
Percentage distribution of total arrivals by season between 2000 and 2008
International tourism receipts between 19 95 and 2006