The Green Party of Lebanon said in a statement that it is looking forward to seeing an end to the “hardship” of the Chouf’s residents with the closure of the Naameh landfill, calling for “an emergency plan aimed at managing and recycling waste more efficiently through municipal cooperation.” “We support the residents’ and the civil community’s demands to solve this issue on time,” the statement read. Earlier this year, the government assured Naameh residents that the dump would shut its gates in July. The Naameh landfill opened in 1997 and was supposed to be the government’s provisional “emergency plan.” It was meant to close in 2003, but the consecutive governments kept pushing back the deadline and the landfill was overfilled. On the issue of the planned construction of a dam in the Jezzinearea town of Bisri, the statement condemned what it described as the disrespect of ministerial laws and decrees stipulating that the territory on which the dam will be built is part of the Shouf Reserve’s protected geo park. The statement called for “reconsidering” the project before it was too late, and protecting “historical and natural treasures.” Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt has repeatedly urged lawmakers to approve the Basri dam project, saying it will benefit citizens living in Beirut and its suburbs. The Daily Star
