After the ceasefire between Lebanon and the Israeli aggression (2023–2025), the Lebanese economy suffered around \$14 billion in direct losses, with reconstruction costs estimated at about \$11 billion. Agricultural output declined due to shelling and landmines, with losses in agricultural production projected to reach an additional 80% after the fifth year of the war because of unexploded ordnance, according to World Bank estimates.
The Soil Has Lost Its Soul
"Before the war, our land was generous. I used to grow tobacco, olives, and seasonal vegetables, and there was always blessing in it. But after the latest Israeli aggression, everything changed. I felt as if the soil had become drier—as though it had lost its soul."
Hussein Al-Mallat, a farmer from the town of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon, whose land was directly affected, says:
“The bombs that exploded—especially the cluster bombs—caused massive damage to our agricultural products, even after the war ended. Many fields remain inaccessible because of landmines and unexploded remnants. Personally, I lost more than five dunams, and all the hard work I put in over the years has vanished.”
“The olive trees were completely damaged—some of them I couldn’t even find—because of the constant shelling in the area. Sadly, I lost crops like cauliflower, cabbage, and apples, amounting to nearly $10,000 in direct losses. And when we returned to farming, the harvest was never the same as before.”
“The tobacco has grown weaker, the olive yield has dropped, and even the tomatoes and eggplants no longer produce as they used to. As for the substances that fragmented into the soil, they have affected its composition. We tried using organic fertilizer to nourish the land, but the results have been rather slow.”
He points out that “some farmers have abandoned agriculture altogether and emigrated, while we remain steadfast—despite knowing that our land will never return to its former state.”
The Role of Official and International Initiatives in Measuring and Addressing Environmental Pollution
Environmental activist and journalist Fadia Jomaa told Sila Wasl platform:
“There are initiatives underway, but they are still in an early stage. For now, the work relies on satellite imagery and some partial field surveys, in the absence of large-scale official programs due to security challenges. Laboratory analyses confirm the presence of severe pollution, according to the American University of Beirut and other Lebanese universities, pointing to dangerous contaminants such as white phosphorus and heavy metals.”
“There’s no doubt that as time passes, people tend to think the danger is ‘over,’ while environmental pollution can be long-term and invisible. Agriculture is among the first sectors to suffer because of the war—especially in southern Lebanon,” says activist and journalist Nadia Jomaa, stressing the long-term health and environmental impacts of this pollution.
Jomaa adds that “the Ministry of Environment is preparing to launch testing and remediation campaigns, but is waiting for security conditions to improve before beginning implementation. And although the pace of shelling in the South has declined, the real threat has not yet ended. War-related environmental pollution remains a long-term, silent danger that directly threatens the soil, water, and agricultural system.”
Agriculture is among the most affected sectors in southern Lebanon.
Local laboratory analyses conducted on January 26, 2024, by the American University of Beirut in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture revealed alarming levels of soil contamination, including heavy metals such as lead, barium, and white phosphorus.
Some samples showed concentrations reaching 97,000 mg/kg—more than 120 times the globally permitted limit of 800 mg/kg.
In the same context, the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) notes that “the Israeli army’s use of white phosphorus led to the burning of thousands of agricultural dunams, as well as air and soil contamination, with the council estimating direct environmental losses at more than 214 million USD.”
In response to this difficult reality, the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), in collaboration with Norwegian People’s Aid, began conducting preliminary surveys using satellite imagery to determine the extent of environmental damage and identify affected agricultural infrastructure sites, covering the period from October 2023 to December 2024.
At the same time, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is compiling field reports in coordination with southern municipalities and environmental organizations, in preparation for presenting them to donors with the aim of turning them into concrete environmental projects.
As for Lebanon’s Ministry of Environment—despite acknowledging the severity of the pollution—it has yet to launch any comprehensive field plan for sample collection or testing, due to the unstable security situation.
Ministry officials have announced that they are working on developing a “National Environmental Remediation Program” that will include soil rehabilitation, groundwater testing, and the repair of damaged agricultural networks—once military operations come to a halt.
Jomaa stresses that “with the continued absence of a comprehensive emergency plan from the state, the risks to food and water security in the South are increasing—warning of long-term deterioration that could last for decades.”
“And while some international organizations have begun conducting preliminary surveys, there remains an urgent need for scientific and on-the-ground measures—including soil analysis, assessing rehabilitation potential, and warning farmers against the random use of land—in order to ensure environmental recovery and prevent a broader agricultural and social crisis.”
The Beqaa Heals the Wounds of the South
In contrast, the head of the Beqaa Farmers and Growers Association, Ibrahim Al-Tarshishi, notes that “the lands of northern Beqaa have begun to come back to life with the rapid expansion of olive cultivation. The decline in production in the South has motivated farmers in the Beqaa to make use of neglected lands, transforming them into olive groves—a scene that reflects nature’s ability to regenerate despite all the losses.”
He adds, “The Lebanese farmer can no longer care for his land as before, with a large portion of the trees burned or destroyed during the war, especially in southern Lebanon.”
He emphasizes that “the olive tree was the first to suffer damage, cutting, and pollution. This has only increased the Beqaa farmer’s desire to care for this fruitful and resilient tree, particularly in Hermel, Ras Baalbek, and all these arid areas that already face water scarcity.”
