On the rocky shore of Amchit, the Seal Cave is currently under attack as a result of an unjustified and illegal decision by the Directorate General of Urban Planning (DGU) granting construction works on property 345.
The greatest failing lies in the DGU’s blatant violation of the National Physical Masterplan of Lebanese Territories—the fundamental reference for planning in Lebanon—which explicitly classifies the Amchit shore as a natural coastline of high ecological and scenic value that must be preserved, thereby fundamentally altering the region’s character.
This decision is part of a familiar practice by the DGU. Public Works Studio’s monitoring showed that nearly 65% of the DGU’s decisions between 2022 and 2023 completely ignored the NPMPLT (454 out of 705 decisions). The DGU also refrained from publishing these decisions, which have already been implemented in the issuance of building permits and other administrative matters, thus establishing a practice that violates the law and people’s rights.
Therefore, the implementation of this illegal decision must be halted immediately, and an end must be put to the DGU’s repeated practices that tamper with regulations and endanger natural heritage.
Read the full Policy Watch in Arabic.
