New regionalism for rural areas : the case of Hermel (Lebanon) as case study -

Abstract

As a neoliberal market economy that valorizes the service sector at the expense of productive sectors, Lebanon is a case in point of policies of uneven sectoral development and ingrained socio-economic and regional inequalities. The Schéma Directeur d’Aménagement du Territoire Libanais (SDATL), approved by the government in 2009, aims at achieving sustainable and balanced development between Lebanese regions, and between urban and rural areas. However, the SDATL lacks specific and multi-scalar implementation mechanisms. In official discourse, regions refer to governorates (muhafazat). Taking as a case-study the caza of Hermel, my thesis explores if and how regionalism can be used as a tool of rural planning in Lebanon. Hermel is infamous to be the most marginalized and impoverished caza, despite its multiple natural resources. The thesis shows that regions represent an appropriate scale for planning and policy making in Lebanese rural areas. Using the framework of New Regionalism (NR), my thesis explores empirically how to devise an effective scale of sustainable regional development for Hermel. I recommend a set of institutional mechanisms for the production of Hermel as a new region, via establishing an elected council and a Regional Development Agency (RDA) at the level of the caza. The recommendations also include strategies enhancing the region’s diverse and rich assets, and limiting constraints, in ways to improve Hermel’s livability.