Lebanon

Population (2017): 6,082,300 (World Bank and worldpopulationreview.com)
Population (2007): 3,759,000 (national statistics) – 4,086,466 (World Bank and worldpopulationreview.com)
Population (2000): 3,235,380 (World Bank and worldpopulationreview.com)

Largest cities (inhabitants – estimates, in line with worldpopulationreview.com):

• Beirut: 1,916,100
• Tripoli: 229,398
• Sidon: 163,554
• Tyre: 135,204
• Nabatîyé et Tahta: 120,000

Annual population growth (2017): 1.3% (World Bank)
Annual population growth (2007): 0.7%
Annual population growth (2000): 2.5%

Data from worldbank and www.worldpopulationreview.com, cities’ annual population growth calculated based on data from worldbank.

The Lebanese economy is service-oriented with banking and tourism being the most important parts. The country also takes advantage from commercial networks provided by its large diaspora. In fact, it is estimated that remittances from Lebanese abroad account for one fifth of the country’s GDP.

In urban areas 100% of the population has access to both proper water sources and to proper sanitation, while the country performance according to Worldbank data for 2015 is 99% access to water sources and 80.7% to proper sanitation. In 2014 Lebanon projected amount of municipal solid waste was 2.04 million tons (per person 0.98 kg/day on average, 0.95 – 1.2 kg/day in urban areas and 0.8 kg/day in rural areas) (Worldbank, 2018). The amount of waste is growing by 1.65% annually. Waste collection coverage in urban areas reaches 100% and in rural ones 99%. The final destination of collected waste is generally open-dumping (29%) and landfilling (48%), while 15% is being composted and another 8% recycled (GIZ, 2014 – Country report on Solid Waste Management in Lebanon).

Lebanon’s energy consumption in the road transport sector amounted to 39% of its final energy consumption in 2016 (IEA Atlas of Energy) (2010: 45%; 2000: 42%), whereas energy consumption per capita according to worldbank data amounted to 1,337.4 kg of oil equivalent in 2014, against 1,321 kg in 2008 and 1,516.7 kg in 2000. Electricity consumption amounted to 2,800 kWh per capita in 2016, against 3,480 kWh in 2010 and 2,990 kWh in 2000 (IEA Atlas of Energy). The share of the residential sector in the final energy consumption presents high fluctuations, ranging between 23-36% over a period of 5 years (2011-2016) (IEA Atlas of Energy). In line with the same database, the penetration of renewables in the overall electricity generation is at very low levels, around 2%, in 2016.

According to IEA Atlas of Energy, figures CO₂ emissions in Lebanon were 3.86 metric tons per capita in 2016 against 4.61 metric tons in 2009 and 4.33 metric tons in 2000. CO₂ emissions in Lebanon are – like in the other countries in the region – dominantly stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement and include those produced during consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels and gas flaring.

The Lebanese unconditional targets include:

• A GHG emission reduction of 15% compared to the Business As-Usual (BAU) scenario in 2030.
• 15% of the power and heat demand in 2030 is generated by renewable energy sources.
• A 3% reduction in power demand through energy-efficiency measures in 2030 compared to the demand under the Business-As-Usual scenario.

As far as the conditional targets are concerned, these include:

• A GHG emission reduction of 30% compared to the BAU scenario in 2030.
• 20% of the power and heat demand in 2030 is generated by renewable energy sources.
• A 10% reduction in power demand through energy-efficiency in 2030 compared to the demand under the BAU scenario.

More info on Lebanon’s NDCs.

Lebanon has already made progress in mainstreaming climate change adaptation into the biodiversity (draft National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, NBSAP, 2015), water (National Water Sector Strategy, 2012), forestry and agriculture (National Forest Plan, NFP, 2015 and Ministry of Agriculture Strategy, 2015) sectors. The respective actions reflect Lebanon’s priorities given the current understanding of expected climate impacts. More specifically, key vulnerabilities have been detected in the sectors of Coastal Zones and Marine Ecosystems, Water Resources, Public Health, Fisheries and Terrestrial Ecosystems.
Sectoral strategies will be assessed regularly as part of the national development process and/or when new information about climate change and impacts become available. Furthermore, Lebanon aims to reach land degradation neutrality by 2030, in line with the recommendations by the UNCCD framework. This has recently been agreed by the Committee on Land Degradation and Desertification, led by the Ministry of Agriculture. Detailed adaptation measures to suit this aim are yet to be developed.