النهار

A recent study by an international environmental organization has Labeled Lebanon, as one of the worst countries to live in, as environmental pollution has not only hit the air, but also the ground water, sea water as well as the soil. The number of Cancer patients has reached an all time high, almost eighteen thousand new patients in 2018. This paper will highlight few of the reasons for this pollution, how would these have a negative impact, and what could be a possible solution.

There are several factors that contribute to air pollution. First, the poisonous gases that are released into air by factories without passing through proper filters. Second, the increased number of cars running, without proper yearly maintenance to their engines, contribute a lot to air pollution. Third, The increased number of personal and private electrical generators, without proper monitoring solutions is another cause of air pollution. Adding only these three factors together makes the air in our big cities a dangerous to breath. A few simple steps could be taken to decrease air pollution such as, for instance, privately owned generators. The ministry of environment can enforce laws for operations and maintenance to control the emission of gases by generators, factories and cars. Implementation of heavy fines can be a way to get operators abide by the government rules and regulations.

On the underground water subject, the main contributor to this type of pollution are small factories who don’t manage their waste water. This effluent is simply dumped into nearby places, as operators try to avoid this cost, while on the other hand this waste water is fully contaminated and reaches the underground water, and over a short period of time the country’s reserves of underground water becomes fully contaminated and requires lots of treatment solutions before use. Remember, underground water is used by people and governments for irrigation and for human use, even drinking water, for the majority of the poor.

The sea water contamination is caused by the dumpsters used by our municipalities, where these dumpsters mix with sea water and some dissolve in it, not mentioning the gas emission. It is worth mentioning that seawater is the environment for fish and contamination of it will come back to the human body.

Finally, due to air and water pollution, the soil will become diseased and not considered a good environment for planting and farming. Remember, soil is the foundation of the ecosystem. Bad containers will definitely lead to the destruction of the ecosystem.

I was only born thirteen years ago, and I can still hear my parents and grandparents telling me stories about the beautiful Lebanon that was once a destination for tourists from all over the world. How can this beautiful country change to be on the top lists of polluted countries in less than 40 years, while Lebanon is not even considered to be an industrial country – my guess is WE; but we can still make the change to the better.