Name of City: Bechmezzine
Population: 2500 (2015)
Area: 5 Km2
Bechmezzine rests in the middle of Koura plain at 70 Kilometers from the capital Beirut. The village borders the villages of Afsdik, Kfar-Hazir, Amyoun, Fih, and Bterram.
Name of Mayor: Dr. Fawzi Kalash
Contact: fawzi.kalash@outlook.com
Website: N/A
Main Features:
The village is of geographical importance, as it is located at the intersection of several villages in the Koura area leading to several tourists and historical sites.
Main Economic Activities:
The economy sector in the village relies mainly on the agriculture, as well as on the employment in the private institutions including banks, private schools, and private contractors.
The tourism sector also contributes to local economic development, which is dependent on the summer vacations of migrants and on the location of the village at the intersection of roads leading to well-known tourist sites such as Lebanon Cedars.
Conditions and Environmental Challenges:
The majority of the village citizens are employed by the private and public sectors institutions in addition to the agricultural sector, leading to a very low unemployment rate.
The village is facing significant environmental pollution from the dumping of sewage in nearby valleys and from air high pollution due to toxic gases emitted by cement plants in Chekka area. Also, the village is subject to flash floods due to winter rain flows from surrounding hills and towns causing damages to houses, infrastructures and agricultural lands. Moreover, the village faces extreme cold in wintertime, where ice develops overnight during this period of time.