Towards improved governance for sustainable solid waste management in Lebanon -

Abstract

Solid waste management is a multifaceted task that incorporates a diverse set of shareholders and operations. To create a sustainable solid waste management system, governments should elect the most advantageous organizational structure, given a country’s current setting; contextualizing the sector’s administrative structure in accordance with a nation’s organizational constraints. Decentralization is perceived as a mechanism that enhances the sustainability of strategic solid waste management programs by assimilating local communities into the decision-making process; incurring the establishment of developmental programs based on the necessities and conditions of local populations. This research is aimed at determing the recommended level of administrative and financial decentralization for each solid waste management operation and explore the susceptibilities and prospects of each level of governance in Lebanon. Primary data was gathered from environmental experts, and concerned governmental and non-governmental organizations using a semi-structured in-depth interview guide that emphasizes on exploring the best possible level of governance for the different solid waste management operations, and the strengths and drawbacks of various public organizational bodies. The optimal model for solid waste management incurs devolving collection, which would assimilate local populations into the decision-making process and reduce opposition towards devised solid waste management plans; delegating treatment, which incentivizes municipal cooperation and permits the installation of methodologies and technologies that reflect the limitations, public attitudes, and waste dynamics of each distinct geographical territory; and deconcentrating disposal, which would limit the number of landfills constructed and facilitate monitoring. Administrative and constitutional reformations that clearly define the roles and responsibilities of public agencies and transfer judicial authority from the national government towa