Roadmap to Recovery of the Water Sector in Lebanon.

This document outlines a Recovery Plan for the Lebanese water sector, focusing on cost-recovery and key investments aimed at breaking the vicious cycle of inadequate service and low collection, which requires significant financial support and political commitment from the Government of Lebanon, in coordination with the international community.
The recovery plan relies on the following 4 key, interconnected axes (1) Immediate and progressive financial measures, to be implemented through: (i) a gradual yearly tariff increase; (ii) adjustment of public servant salaries; (iii) financial support to Water Establishments (WEs) from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and donors until full cost recovery; (iv) coverage of financial gaps by the Government of Lebanon and donors, also to settle remaining gaps for consumables and maintenance; (2) Performance optimization to increase cost recovery, to be achieved through a series of technical and commercial improvements such as: (i) increasing collection and subscriptions; (ii) reducing non-revenue water (NRW) by 15% nationally by 2026 through removing illegal connections and improving networks; (iii) boosting solar PV power generation by 20% by 2024; (iv) utilizing shallow underground and surface water sources where feasible; (v) connecting pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants to main Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) service lines; (vi) installing metering at water sources; (vii) raising awareness through public outreach campaigns; (3) Institutional and legal reforms will be primarily accomplished by: (i) approving the national water and wastewater sector strategy; (ii) appointing a monitoring committee to oversee the drafting of application decrees and bylaws for water law 192/2020; (iii) renewing Water Establishments' boards of directors based solely on skills and qualifications; (iv) hiring specialized technical staff for wastewater management while exploring redeployment of public servants until full hiring autonomy is achieved; (v) approving a transparent recruitment policy based on skills and qualifications; (vi) adopting new organizational structures at WEs and the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW); (4) Enhanced political support to prioritize the water sector's best interests, aligning with the national strategy and recovery plan. This support must extend beyond policy, encompassing security reinforcements for water establishments to remove illegal connections and protect water and wastewater assets from theft or damage. Crucially, it must also enable water establishments to function effectively as commercial entities.