Arab News Japan

Japan will extend a grant to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), to help Menjez municipality construct a waste management facility in the village through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Program (GGP).

On November 18, 2022, Ambassador OKUBO Takeshi signed a grant contract with Assaad Serhal, General Director of SPNL.

Municipalities in Lebanon have been facing serious challenges in providing basic services in terms of solid waste management.

In Menjez, waste is neither collected regularly nor sorted from the source, and all mixed wastes are transported and disposed to the nearby landfill, which has negatively affected the environment and socio-economic conditions of the people.

To address this serious issue, Japan has decided to support SPNL’s initiative to construct a waste management facility in Menjez. This support will increase the municipality’s capacity and autonomy in solid waste management, reduce the amount of waste generated, and enhance the livelihood of around 2,500 vulnerable community members, students, and farmers.

At the signing ceremony, Ambassador OKUBO expressed his concern over the environmental threats in Lebanon, stressing the importance of SPNL’s mission to preserve the beauty of nature in this country.

From their side, SPNL thanked Japan for its generous support and assured to pursue their efforts in environmental protection.