This text highlights Lebanon’s urgent issue of severe physical degradation in its urban environment, with over 18,000 buildings at risk of collapse, particularly in Beirut and Tripoli. It attributes urban decay to a complex mix of factors: governmental policies favouring demolition in urban planning and profit-driven construction practices, compounded by the impacts of wars, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the port explosion, natural disasters, and climate change. The lack of comprehensive strategies to secure adequate housing and reliance on ad-hoc fixes exacerbate the problem, revealing systemic failures in governance and urban planning. In summary, the collapse of buildings in Lebanon cannot be perceived as a number of isolated incidents but a reflection of long-standing policy failures. This reality underscores the precarious urban living conditions facing Lebanon today.

Construction Land Management and Planning Reconstruction and Recovery Lebanon
 
 
 

Public Safety Decree: No Guarantee for People’s Safety, and No End to the Deterioration of the Urban Environment

Decree No. 14293 relating to “Requirements for General Safety in Buildings, Facilities and Elevator Equipment, and Fire and Earthquake Prevention”.

It was amended by Decree No. 7964, which is currently in force and issued on April 7, 2012.

The Earthquake that wasn’t:

What if the 50s earthquake had hit Lebanon last year?

A year has passed since the earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, while its waves reverberated as far as Macedonia, Greece, Lebanon and Palestine. In Lebanon, the state dealt with the …

The “Murr Floor” Project Returns: The Government Provides no Solution to the Housing Crisis and Increases Speculation on Land Prices

A proposal to amend Article 66 of Law No. 144 (Budget Law).

It has been included in the agenda of the Parliament on 07/12/2021.

Buildings Collapse in Lebanon

It is difficult to be surprised today by the collapse of buildings around the Lebanese territory, being aware of the amount of legal and material factors that have weakened and destabilized their structure, …

The Primary Causes Behind the Increasing number of Collapsed Buildings in Lebanon

In 2023, seismic activity raised concerns about building collapses in Lebanon, initially overlooked until a series of incidents occurred across different regions. These events are part of a broader context where Lebanon faces …

After the Collapses: The Fate of Displaced Residents

Over the past five years, devastating building collapses have shaken various Lebanese cities. These tragic and recurring incidents have resulted in significant human casualties and extensive material losses. However, they are not isolated …