If I Were Head of the Ministry of Environment
By Lilas Sinno, Staff Writer

Beirut, Lebanon - The Ministry of Environment in Lebanon was established in 1981. Its main objective is to fight pollution, forest fires and limit and try to prohibit the mutilation of trees. The Ministry of Environment is also responsible for setting rules and regulations regarding the usages of pesticides and water in addition to the protection of animals and plants. During the first couple of years following the establishment of the Ministry of Environment, no actual rules were set, but the main tasks of this ministry were known. These tasks include prohibiting the distortion of the beach and the public and private sites, monitoring the usage of water (especially in watering plants and making sure none of this source is uselessly spent), protecting the fish by sanctioning the use of bombs and poison in fishing, making sure the beach and the coast remain clean, protecting the birds, animals and all types of plants and finally making sure all the cultural and natural resources and sites that represent Lebanon (Cedars) are well preserved. In April 1993, a law was set to limit and specifically list the activities of the Ministry of Environment. In July 2002, another law was established to protect and state the objectives and area of activity of the Ministry of Environment. This law also determined the specific rules, regulations and principals that should be followed to protect the Lebanese environment.

When we asked people about what they would do if they were the heads of ministry of environment, their answers, in random order, were:

F19: I would eradicate breakers and take care of preserved areas because Lebanon is known for its mountains and greenery. By making sure that both these elements are kept safe I will be ensuring a better environment for animals.

M20: I would hire a highly specialized team to conduct several studies concerning the Lebanese beach to check if it’s suitable for swimming.

F20: I would collaborate with Greenpeace and support all its tasks and actions to help make the Lebanese environment less polluted and a better place for livelihood.

M20: I would impose strict rules regarding hunting and the use of explosives to capture fish.

F18: I would encourage planting trees because trees clean the environment, enrich the soil and are very refreshing to observe.

M32: I would forbid any vehicle from operating on specific types of fuel oil (Mazout) because it harms the environment and jeopardize the lives of human beings and animals.

F25: I would conduct a thorough study concerning Global Warming to develop detailed ideas about the main factors that cause it, and eventually advertise these causes heavily and impose strict rules to forbid people from taking any action that would lead and accelerate the process of Global Warming.

M22: Sea turtles are a necessary element in the Lebanese beaches because they eat jellyfish. However, due to the enormous number of plastic thrown in the sea, turtles are eating these bags and suffocating, which is leading to an increase in the number of jellyfish, hence the increase in the number of people getting bit and burned. As the head of the Ministry of the Environment, I would clean both the shore and the beach so as to help preserve sea turtles.

F17: I would send a specialized team to schools and universities to give them small lectures about how important the environment is, how to keep it clean and what tasks should be accomplished in the future well-being of the Lebanese environment.

M26: I would supervise the garbage cans located on the streets by making sure that they are placed adequately, not left in the cans for a long time and are disposed of efficiently. Moreover, I would also encourage people to start organizing their garbage and dividing them into recyclable and non-recyclable.

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