Description:
The state of the water supply and
sanitation (WSS) sector in Lebanon is not in line with the
level of economic development reached by the country.
Despite the relatively high coverage rate in the water
sector (78 percent), continuity of supply is extremely low.
The Beirut Mount Lebanon (BML) region, which accounts for 60
percent of total connected households, receives only three
hours of daily water supply during the summer season. The
development of the wastewater sector is still at an
embryonic stage. There are a few waste water treatment
plants in operation, all of which are small. Water storage
capacity is inadequate to meet irrigation water demand, and
is far below the level of other MENA countries. The present
public expenditure aims at examining efficiency and
effectiveness in the allocation of resources in the water
sector. In conducting the research and analysis, the team
observed a contrasted reality in which a multitude of issues
afflicting the sector emerged. Alongside the public
expenditure analysis, the study presents an in-depth
diagnosis of the water sector in Lebanon and the issues it
is facing. The analysis focuses primarily on water supply,
encompassing to a lesser extent sanitation and irrigation,
due to the scarcer information available on the latter two
sub-sectors. The public expenditure review addresses the
following main questions: what progress has Lebanon made in
reforming the water sector? What are the main weaknesses
still characterizing its current institutional setting? Is
the water sector performance in line with the level of
economic development in the country? What are the key issues
faced by consumers in the water sector? Has public
expenditure been adequate to meet the development needs of
the sector? What is the level of efficiency of public
investment? What are the key sources of hidden costs in the
water sector? What are the main accountability weaknesses
which should be overcome to improve efficiency in the
delivery of water supply and sanitation services in Lebanon?
What policy actions are needed to improve sector performance
and meet the development needs of the sector?