The weeks have passed since the launching of (GREENAREA) website, and it was actually full of environmental activities for the Lebanese government … from the food safety campaign passing through the wastes file, and submitting a draft for a book of terms and delaying it, down to the “flood” -which is linked to every time it rains -and this time, it was linked by coincidence (being water), to the Janneh and Hammana dams.
The food safety campaign is thanked, and it should be strengthened and continued to turn into a lasting and obvious mechanism, because the State Logic imposes and assumes that. However, the bitter experiences are stronger than our ability to believe that what is happening does not hide anything behind it, especially that what is roaming backstage from the demands for the establishment of new funds to follow up on this file, after the financial drought, push us to be suspicious, and what is meant by the funds, is the councils, and bodies that came in parallel and “competitiveness” to the ministries, and formed wasting lanes and spending channels, that raised many unanswered questions financially and practically ..
The matter also needs a magical ability to be convinced that the government which is not doing its responsibilities, regarding all issues, is interested today in the safety and the health of the citizens. In one meeting for this government, there was a clash between the ministers around the cellular files and the newly established universities in Lebanon, and around the rehabilitation projects of the Ministry of Public Works, and a “fictional surreal” draft for a book of Terms on wastes was presented, it begins by stating that the listed price is a default price (?) because the places of the landfills are still unknown, and the prices will be amended when the places are found!! ..
It ends by stating that each contractor is to be left to “do whatever he wants” at the site that he finds, and that the proposed initial contract will increase the cost of the wastes file in Lebanon by no less than 25% of the cost of the previous contract, which is complained of the increase in its value by those who proposed the increase themselves!!.
Likely, the food safety campaign opened a war within the Cabinet, among the protectors of tourism and the economy on one hand and the Ministry of Health on the other hand, at the beginning. But those who were against the campaign quickly engaged in it and entered the bidding and worked on closing the “violating stores” more than any other person did, when it turned out that the issue is “beneficial” ..
Judicial decisions were issued to stop the works at the Janneh dam, but nobody listened, knowing that one of the distinguished judges who spoke to “Green area” website revealed the amount of pressures and obstructions, as well as the impact of the “political environment” on the environmental laws and on the mechanisms of their application, as the officials now view the environmental issues in Lebanon from the corner of the available opportunities for benefits, and as a new way for gaining and compensating the financial lanes that have depleted.
New challenges are on the way with the launching of “Green area” Website. The website has already began publishing in the English language a week ago, which is the same predicted duration for launching the website in French.
We confirm our gratitude and appreciation for everyone who has given us remarks, advice, and encouragement and we are still waiting for your opinions, and your contributions…
Website Team
