Al-Zein Follows Up on Sarar Dump Remediation: Immediate Measures to Limit Damage

Minister of Environment Tamara Al-Zein, in coordination with the National Solid Waste Management Authority, followed up on immediate measures to address the situation at the Sarar dump in Akkar. This involved strictly enforcing compliance with required environmental conditions and standards by operating entities, as well as intensifying oversight of the site to limit damages and risks to surrounding villages.

Al-Zein clarified that the temporary reopening of the dump was intended to prevent waste accumulation in the area, noting that this measure would remain limited to the transitional phase until the sanitary landfill and treatment plant become operational. She indicated that actual work on establishing the landfill began in January 2026 in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), parallel to efforts to maintain and upgrade the sorting facility through the GATE project, funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Council for Development and Reconstruction.

She added that the sanitary landfill and treatment plant are expected to enter the operational phase by the end of February 2027, enabling the transition to waste processing and residue landfilling according to environmental and health standards, ultimately leading to the closure of random dumps.

Al-Zein noted that work on a permanent solution is accompanied by encouraging municipalities and towns in Akkar to expand source separation, thereby reducing the volume of waste reaching treatment and landfill sites and increasing recovery and recycling rates.

In parallel, she highlighted efforts to secure incentives, aid, and development projects for the villages and communities surrounding the Sarar dump, which have borne the burden of hosting waste for years. This approach stems from the principle of justice in distributing environmental and social burdens, ensuring that no single area or group of villages bears the cost alone for a service benefiting a wider scope.

Al-Zein addressed the residents of the region, affirming that protecting and doing justice to the villages surrounding the dump is part of the solution, especially since they have carried environmental and social burdens for years. She stated that the success of the next phase requires shared responsibility among the state, municipalities, and citizens, starting with reducing waste quantities and separating at the source, alongside completing the sanitary landfill and sorting facility, to finally end reliance on random dumps.