Bisri Dam Project

The Bisri Dam is Lebanon aims to provide access to potable water for the Greater Beirut area. However, concerns related to reservoir-induced seismicity, loss of natural habitats, and access to cultural heritage sites cast a shadow on the project.

Reliable access to water is a major challenge in Lebanon’s capital city and the Greater Beirut area. The Government of Lebanon has proposed to construct a dam in the Bisri valley to create a reservoir that will feed drinking water to the population of Greater Beirut. However, civil society organizations have raised concerns that this plan is not the most cost effective or safe solution to the problem of water access. The project stands to flood 6 million square meters of natural areas and agricultural lands in the Bisri Valley, and will result in the dismantling of more than 50 historical sites. The dam is also planned to be built on an active seismic fault, posing risks of reservoir-triggered seismicity (RTS).