Lebanon’s coastline under pressure: Decades of sea reclamation and war debris along the Mediterranean shore

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Lebanon 15-05-2026 | 13:38

Lebanon’s coastline under pressure: Decades of sea reclamation and war debris along the Mediterranean shore

From Dbayeh to Beirut Port, a look at how reclamation projects, reconstruction efforts, and war debris have reshaped Lebanon’s shoreline over the decades.

Manal Chaaya
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Lebanon’s coastline under pressure: Decades of sea reclamation and war debris along the Mediterranean shore
War raids dumped into the sea
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From the waterfront in Dbayeh to Ramlet al-Baida beach, the Biel area, and Costa Brava among others, sea reclamation projects in Lebanon have been numerous and have spread over several decades. Sea reclamation has become one of the country’s most controversial urban and environmental issues.

 

 

When did these operations occur? And what impact did they have on Lebanon's area?

Since the early 1980s, sea reclamation in Lebanon has intensified, and during the civil war and in the post-war period, war debris and waste were used to fill and bury large areas of the Lebanese coast.

 

 

• In 1983, tractors, including those from “Oger Lebanon,” began dredging debris from destroyed buildings in Beirut to cover marine areas.

• In 1985, the official start of “reclamation operations” began when “Khoury Company” started reclamation work in the Dbayeh and Naqash areas. At that time, the company began its operations in the easiest location, where the sea was shallower, opposite Dbayeh and Naqash. Later, the work was halted due to the Lebanese Civil War.

 

 

 

In 1992, after Prime Minister Rafik Hariri took office, attention was renewed on the Northern Metn Coastline Development Project, leading to the decision to carve out a section of the reclamation stretching from the Antelias Bridge border to Karantina, known as the “Linor Project.”

 

 

Officially, the Council of Ministers issued Decree No. 7510, approving the general directive design for the reclamation area on the northern Metn coast. The Dbayeh waterfront project was carried out through successive reclamation operations to expand the waterfront, establish commercial and residential complexes, and private ports, transforming the landmarks of the northern Beirut coast.

 

Reconstruction

 

The post-war period was no less significant in terms of reclamation operations, as the “reconstruction” phase saw an intensification of activity “at the expense of the sea,” sometimes for investment projects and other times to accelerate rebuilding and cover what had been destroyed during the Lebanese Civil War.

 

 

The result was the reclamation of large areas, particularly in Beirut within the “Solidere” project, considered the most famous reconstruction initiative. The reclamation included extensive sea areas opposite Ain Mreisse and extending up to Beirut Port, formerly known as the “Normandy Pool.” The reclaimed land was transformed into a major waterfront and real estate zone with marinas, markets, and commercial centers, as part of the capital’s reconstruction and the “Rafik Hariri Reconstruction Project.”

 

 

Reclamation activities also took place in areas such as Costa Brava, Tyre, and Tripoli (as part of the Exclusive Economic Zone project in northern Lebanon), all based on official decrees.

 

July War

The main areas affected by reclamation included:

• Northern Metn Coast: Dbayeh and Naqash.

• Beirut: Ramlet al-Baida beach and the area surrounding Beirut Port.

• Other areas such as Costa Brava, Tyre, and Tripoli.

While the 1990s were “rich” in reclamation activities, the successive wars Lebanon faced periodically not only plunged it into instability, destruction, and economic strain but also “compelled” the use of post-war practices, including disposing of airstrike and bombardment debris by burying it in the sea and newly created areas.

The 2006 July War saw the use of debris from Israeli bombardments to fill new areas, most notably along the Costa Brava shoreline.

 

 

 

After the “Support War” of 2024, serious reports about officially relying on the sea for the disposal of war debris and waste resurfaced, with indications of shifting debris toward the Ouzaii coast, along with rumors of around 100,000 square meters of debris being distributed between Akkar, Koura, and Tyre.

 

 

 

Today, what scenario will be drawn for the debris from the “Khamenei War”?

Is Lebanon’s sea still large enough to absorb debris from successive wars?

 

 

Tags
Lebanon ، War ، Southern Suburb ، Israel ، Sea Reclamation ، Lebanese Coast ، Khamenei ، sea reclamation ، Costa Brava ، Lebanese coast ، Beirut ، Lebanese Civil War ، Council of Ministers ، 2006 July War ، Support War” of 2024