Strategic Environmental Assessment for the New Water Sector Strategy for Lebanon
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REGIONAL GOVERNANCE AND KNOWLEDGE GENERATION PROJECT STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE NEW WATER SECTOR STRATEGY FOR LEBANON DELIVERABLE 4 FINAL SEA REPORT 19 May 2015 Prepared and Submitted by the ECODIT-led Consortium: [Page intentionally left blank] STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE NEW WATER SECTOR STRATEGY FOR LEBANON Project Title STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE NEW WATER SECTOR STRATEGY FOR LEBANON Deliverable Name Final SEA Report Deliverable Number 4 Client Plan Bleu and the Ministry of Energy and Water Funding World Bank – GEF REGIONAL – GOVERNANCE AND KNOWLEDGE GENERATION PROJECT Consultant ECODIT LIBAN Project Team Karim El Jisr (Team Leader), Raymond Colley (Senior SEA Advisor), Zuhier el Hassan (Water Resources Specialist), Ghassan Jaradi (Ecologist and Biodiversity Specialist), Redha Hamdan (Social Scientist), Osama Abu Rayan (Environmental Economist), Naji Tannous (Energy Specialist), Capricia Chabarekh (Pollution Specialist), and Rita Stephan (GIS and Land Management Specialist) Contract Number Plan Bleu 2013-012 Final SEA Report of National Water Sector Strategy ECODIT •· Page i Disclaimer The Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Water Sector Strategy (2010-2020) was prepared in compliance with Lebanon’s Decree 8213/2012. The SEA is prepared for and on behalf of the Ministry of Energy and Water, and is reviewed by the Ministry of Environment. Despite efforts by the Consultant and the Ministry of Environment to solicit the views and comments of the MEW on the draft and revised SEA report, the MEW chose not to provide comments. The Final SEA Report therefore was compiled and submitted without the endorsement of the MEW. The following chronology of events and correspondence summarize the SEA process: June 6, 2013 Contract signature between Plan Bleu pour l’Environnement et le Développement en Méditerranée and ECODIT July 12, 2013 Plan Bleu informs former ministers of Environment and Energy and Water of the contract award and duration June 21, 2013 Environment Minister appoints a review committee for the SEA of the National Water Sector Strategy (MOE Decision 170/1) Jul. 23, 2013 ECODIT submits draft Literature Review Report to MEW Nov. 18, 2013 ECODIT submits draft Scoping Report to MEW May 15, 2014 ECODIT submits draft SEA Report to MEW and Plan Bleu Aug. 11, 2014 National Council for the Environment (NCE) invites ECODIT to present preliminary SEA findings of the National Water Sector Strategy1 Sept. 30, 2014 ECODIT submits revised SEA Report to MEW and Plan Bleu. Nov. 11, 2014 ECODIT resubmits revised SEA Report (dated Sept. 30) to MEW’s minister’s office Dec. 23, 2014 ECODIT receives a request from the Directorate General of Hydraulic and Electric Resources to provide all previous project documentation and minutes of previous meetings to facilitate the review process (Ref 1009/S). Dec. 29, 2014 ECODIT submits all the requested project documentation and minutes of previous meetings to the MEW (Ref 7896) _ copy registered at MOE (Ref 5818 / B) Jan. 12, 2015 MOE sends a memo to MEW reiterating the objectives of the SEA study and its importance to Lebanon’s water sector, and recommending the organization of a joint press conference (MEW and MOE) to present the SEA findings to the media (Ref 5818/B). Mar. 5, 2015 ECODIT sends a follow-up memo to the Directorate General of Hydraulic and Electric Resources requesting a meeting to solicit and discuss the comments of the Directorate on the draft SEA while focusing on the 12 key SEA issues (Ref 1279) Mar. 11, 2015 MOE sends a follow-up memo to MEW to solicit the ministry’s comments on the draft SEA report by March 31, 2015 (before contract expiry) (Ref 5818/B). Mar. 27, 2015 MEW responds to MOE explaining that it cannot approve the SEA Report because references to Ibl es Saqi dam and its impact on the Hasbani-Wazzani river system are erroneous and contrary to Lebanon’s national interest. 1 The NCE meeting on August 11, 2014 was attended by all the members of the Council including the MEW. Final SEA Report of National Water Sector Strategy ECODIT •· Page ii Mar. 25, 2015 Plan Bleu sends a memo to MEW informing the Ministry that the SEA contract with ECODIT was extended until March 31 “in order to accommodate any comments from the Ministry of Energy and Water on the final report” and that Plan Bleu would be willing to extend the consulting contract one last time until April 30 “on condition that MEW can make a formal commitment to provide comments on the final report to the consulting firm ECODIT.” Ref 1384/15/HR/SD) Mar. 31, 2015 MOE responds to MEW’s memo dated March 27 emphasizing the importance of producing a final SEA report that is endorsed by both ministries (Energy and Water, and Environment) and presenting two options going forward: (1) the preferred option: MEW provides comments by April 13 to ECODIT and Plan Bleu, and (2) the SEA Report is finalized and released after correcting all references to Ibl es Saqi. Apr. 30, 2015 MEW sends a final memo to MOE rejecting the SEA Report and confirming its intent not to provide comments. MEW also requests the preparation of a new SEA Report under the supervision of the MEW’s Directorate General of Hydraulic and Electric Resources. Based on the above, The SEA consultant, ECODIT, prequalified by the Council for Development and Reconstruction to conduct environmental studies, prepared the Final SEA Report without receiving official comments from the MEW. Therefore, The present SEA study of the National Water Sector Strategy is released to the public, in full compliance with Decree 8213/2012, but without MEW approval. Final SEA Report of National Water Sector Strategy ECODIT •· Page iii Acknowledgement ECODIT wishes to thank the following individuals and institutions for their valuable contribution and critique of previous deliverables under this contract: Mr. Abdo Tayar (MEW) Mr. Ziad Zakhour (MEW) Mr. Ziad Khayat (MEW-UNDP) Ms. Manal Moussallem (MOE-UNDP) Mr. Vahakn Kabakian (MOE-UNDP) Mr. Samer El Hachem (MOE Review Committee) Mr. Bassam Sabbagh (MOE Review Committee) Ms. Samar Malek (MOE Review Committee) Mr. Jean-Roger Mercier (Plan Bleu – World Bank) Ms. Lina Tode (Plan Bleu) The preparation of the Strategic Environmental Assessment report was the coordinated effort of the entire ECODIT LIBAN team including: Raymond Colley (Senior SEA Advisor), Zuhier el Hassan (Water Resources Specialist), Ghassan Jaradi (Ecologist and Biodiversity Specialist), Redha Hamdan (Social Scientist), Osama Abu Rayan (Environmental Economist), Naji Tannous (Energy Specialist), Capricia Chabarekh (Pollution Specialist), and Rita Stephan (GIS and Land Management Specialist) It is hoped that this SEA has contributed to enhancing the political, scientific, and environmental dialogue on Lebanon’s water sector, and to narrowing the gaps between policy making and public opinion. Karim El-Jisr Team Leader *The Minister of Environment appointed a committee to review the NWSS SEA on 21/6/2013 (MoE Decision 170/1) Final SEA Report of National Water Sector Strategy ECODIT •· Page iv Final SEA Report of National Water Sector Strategy ECODIT •· Page v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) prepared in 2010 a National Water Sector Strategy (NWSS). The strategy was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on March 9, 2012.2 The strategy presents a detailed road map for improving water conditions and service delivery in the country, and recommends the preparation of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The Terms of Reference for the SEA study were prepared by Plan Bleu in consultation with MEW and the Ministry of Environment, and based on Decree 8213/2012. Plan Bleu funded the SEA under the Global Environment Facility project “Regional Governance and Knowledge Generation” and commissioned ECODIT, a Lebanese consulting company, to carry out the study. Description of the National Water Sector Strategy The National Water Sector Strategy articulated seven objectives: (1) Maximizing the potential and improving the quality of surface water resources, (2) Improving the management and protection of groundwater resources, (3) Fulfilling deficits through groundwater and/or surface water, (4) Ensuring proper and continuous access to high quality water supply, (5) Providing adequate quantities and quality of water for irrigation, (6) Increasing coverage of wastewater collection networks and treatment capacities, and (7) Optimizing current wastewater treatment processes and sludge disposal. The NWSS is divided into two parts: seven infrastructure initiatives and five water sector initiatives. The infrastructure initiatives are summarized in Table A. Table A. Summary of NWSS Infrastructure Initiatives and Cost Estimates Cost Estimate Strategy Initiatives Summary Description ($M) 1. Optimizing surface 64 million CM of additional water water storage 2. Artificial recharge of Up to 200 million CM of additional water by artificial $2,206 groundwater aquifer recharge (during the wet season / excess flow) (29% of total CAPEX) 3. Surface storage: Up to 670/880 million CM of water storage (static/dynamic) dams and hill lakes 46 sites identified as suitable for surface storage incl. dams and hill lakes (<1 million CM) 4. Water supply 2800 km of transmission pipes transmission 3 191000 m of storage in 561 tanks $1,790 5. Water supply 9600 km of distribution pipes (23%) distribution About 1 million water meters 6. Irrigation rehabili- Up to 30,000 ha irrigated by 2020 $577 tation and expansion Additional 60,000 ha irrigated by 2035 (7%) 7. Wastewater 12 coastal STPs planned to serve 5,597,000 people-equiv. $3,104 collection & 42 inland STPs planned to serve 1,977,750 people-equiv. (40%) treatment 2 The NWSS was approved a few weeks before the SEA Decree 8213/2012 was enacted by the Council of Ministers; it was therefore not possible to commission the SEA earlier, i.e., before the formal endorsement of the NWSS. Final SEA Report of National Water Sector Strategy ECODIT •· Page vi These initiatives can be grouped into three programs: (1) Production (2) Transmission and Distribution, and (3) Wastewater The total CAPEX of the NWSS amounts to approximately $7.6 billion.