6 December 2014: ‘Economic Repercussions of Climate Change on Vital Sectors of the Lebanese Economy,’ a side event at the Lima Climate Change Conference, addressed socio-economic consequences of climate change in Lebanon’s water, energy and agriculture sectors. Participants considered an analysis of the country’s 2014 drought, which illustrates potential future climate impacts, and the application of a Brazilian model of South-South cooperation in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Environment and the American University of Beirut Issam Fares Institute (AUB-IFI) organized the event. Leila El Sayed, Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Finance, Lebanon, presented a study on optimizing the country’s renewable energy mix. The study’s policy recommendations include: amending laws to allow private sector involvement in renewable energy production; increasing the end-users’ electricity tariff; and implementing a technology-specific and size-specific scheme to increase private investors’ confidence in the renewables market.

Addressing the Lebanese water sector, Nadim Farajalla, AUB-IFI, underscored population and climate change as important stressors on water resources and reviewed drought incidents since 1920. He concluded, inter alia, that Lebanon was not legally nor technically prepared to face the 2014 drought. He recommended a cross-ministerial body to draft a drought management plan and a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.

Edson Domingues, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, highlighted: mitigation options in key sectors; policy alternatives and costs associated with reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and potential areas for cooperation between Brazil and Lebanon.

In the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, inter alia: risks associated with not meeting Lebanon’s renewables targets; commitment and political will concerning changes in the energy mix; carbon costs; rainfall changes in regard to hydropower; ways to expand potential co-benefits from adaptation and mitigation; crop substitution and hybridized crops; and Lebanese positions in relation to the Arab Group in the climate negotiations. [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage] [IISD RS ENBOTS Video Coverage of Side Event] [IISD RS Coverage of Lima Climate Change Conference] [AUB-IFI Event Announcement]