Monitoring

Land Legislations

since 2019

0Laws
0Decrees (since 2021)
0DGU decisions
0Master plans
0Housing
0Public property
0Land management and planning
0Reconstruction and recovery
0Natural resources
0Construction
0Infrastructure

Kisrawan – Jbeil

Baalbek – Hermel

North

South

Mount Lebanon

Beirut

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Israeli attacks on Lebanon: Bombing and target types, and number of civilian martyrs

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Distribution of Private State Property in Tripoli City, Mina and Beddaoui

The Lebanese State owns 481 properties in the city of Tripoli, the majority of which are located in the “Trablous jardins” and “Ez-Zeitoun” cadastral areas. In the adjacent city of Mina, the number …

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Distribution of Private State Property in Saida City and its Surroundings

A significant number of state-owned lands designated for housing (154 properties) are located in the district of Saida. 124 of these properties are registered under the name of the National Authority for Reconstruction, …

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Distribution of Private State Property in Tyre City, Borj Ech-Chemali and Aabbassiye

Amiri public lands constitute 62 per cent of Tyre’s area, while state-owned lands of all types amount to 70–75 per cent of the city. The current uses of these lands are diverse, but …

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Count of Public State Property Reclassification Decrees (per district and timeframe)

The state’s “public” property — legally known as “reserved protected land” includes any property meant to be used in the public interest, such as riverbeds, riverbanks, sea shores, waterfalls, lakes, irrigation canals, roads, …

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Distribution of State Property Designated for Public Housing (by District and Public Institution)

A significant number of state-owned lands in Lebanon are registered in the land registry under the names of several ministries, departments, or directorates concerned with housing. As per the 2015’s data retrieved from …

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Geographical Distribution of Real Estate owned by Banque du Liban BDL (by District)

Among the registered proprietors of state property is the central bank, Banque du Liban (BDL), which owns a vast portfolio of 1,037 plots of unbuilt state property. BDL owns full shares in some …

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Geographical Distribution of Amiri State Property (by District)

Amiri lands constitute the majority (52 percent) of all real estate belonging to the Lebanese state, or 31,907 different properties. The district of Baalbek alone includes more than 33% of the total Amiri …

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Geographical Distribution of Private State Property (by District)

According to Lebanon’s Real Estate Property Law (Resolution no. 3339 of 1930), there are 5 types of state-owned lands, which fall under two main categories: Public State Property and Private State Property. Private …

Policy Watch

Encroachment on Public Property in Al-Qleileh: Legitimizing Legal and Environmental Violations

Shortly before leaving office, the Mikati government approved Decree No. 14620, dated January 16, 2025, which grants a private company concession rights to 14,560 square meters of public maritime domain adjacent to property …

Article Policy Watch

Evacuation and demolition of shops in Burj al-Barajneh: a struggle between Planning and Social Marginalization

In January 2025, the Burj al-Barajneh municipality, backed by the Lebanese army and security forces, evicted and demolished informal shops, sparking resident protests. While the municipality claimed it was reclaiming public land, its move suggests an attempt to control the area’s informal economy.

Field Watch

 “100 dollars for rent or else…” The Khan Al-Askar project is outside the municipality’s accounts in terms of services, but it is present in the rent collection ledger

تهدد بلدية طرابلس بطرد سكان مشروع «إسكان قاطني وشاغلي خان العسكر»، في حالة عدم تمكنهم من دفع إيجار بقيمة 100 دولاراً، ممّا يعرّض للخطر حقّ السكن ل230 شخصاً يعيشون في مشروع الإسكان الشعبي.

Dossier

Investigating the Religious Land Endowments in Lebanon

Amid Lebanon’s economic collapse, along with other successive crises, “ownership” is raised as a fundamental issue in shaping the system of social and economic relations, framed by the state through laws, making it …

Investigation

Who moved the kitchen to the bedroom?

Today, the use of kitchenettes in low income housing and student accommodation in Beirut, raises a question as to whether this is a victory for housing rights, or a way to jeopardize the tenant’s comfort and raise the profits of landlords.

Field Watch

The need for policies to protect heritage buildings: Buildings threatened with collapse in Basta

Following the evacuation of the inhabitants, two listed buildings are threatened with demolition, apparently as a result of deliberate negligence by the owners, as well as Israeli raids during the last war. This issue is not merely the destruction of unsafe buildings, but a clear example of the complexities of the issue of neglected heritage buildings and the institutional failures in its management. It also opens the door to fundamental questions about how to reconcile the preservation of public safety with the preservation of historical legacy, and how to protect the most vulnerable groups who inhabit these buildings, in the face of owners’ expectations for material gain.

Law Commentary

The Independent Municipal Fund: How does the state distribute its shares without any studies?

In the last month of 2024, Decree 14492 was approved to distribute the revenues of the Independent Municipal Fund for the year 2022, which distributes shares to municipalities, based on a number of …

Policy Watch

The website of the Directorate General of Urban Planning: An Incomplete Step Toward Transparency

On January 31, the website of the Directorate General of Urban Planning was launched, with the aim of enhancing transparency and facilitating access to information. While this is seen as a long-awaited move toward transparency and accountability, it is considered incomplete and does not absolve the Directorate of its core responsibilities.

Statement

A Call to Protect Cultural Properties following the Israeli Aggressions on Lebanon

Following the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, which killed thousands of civilians and targeted a large number of villages and towns in the southern and Bekaa regions, in addition to the southern suburbs of …

Article

A Ministry of Development, Planning and Housing: What We Need at This Stage

In the context of the ongoing debate around the need for a Ministry of Planning, this article provides an overview of the Ministry’s history, stressing the importance of establishing such a ministry, to produce a comprehensive vision of the political economic plan for the State and regions, especially at the level of land regulation.

Law Commentary

Enacting a law to extend rental contract deadlines: An insufficient measure to safeguard the right to housing

The Lebanese government’s new law suspends legal, judicial, and contractual deadlines to protect citizens’ rights during the Israeli aggression. However, concerns persist about its long-term effectiveness, especially regarding housing security and old rental tenants.

Study

Squatting Vacant Buildings: A Report on the Illegality of Evictions During the War

During the Israeli war on Lebanon, the use of vacant buildings proliferated as a prominent way to access housing due to the lack of alternatives. In an attempt to understand these practices, this report documents the legal and political tools used for evictions and eviction threats in 3 case studies in Beirut, highlighting their illegitimacy. It also calls for challenging the criminalization of squatting, particularly during war, and emphasizes the role of these practices in restoring the social value of vacant buildings.