1. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN IN THE PERIOD JANUARY 1996 - MAY 1998 1.1 Meetings of the IHP National Committee
1.1.1 Decisions regarding the composition of the HIP National Committee
Because of the special conditions that prevailed in Lebanon, the National Hydrologic Committee was not established till October 1996.
The Committee has met regularly once a month, since its inception, but with much less than full membership attendance at many meetings.
The Committee is composed of 12 members; two are staff members of the National Council for Scientific Research, four are from government water-related departments, five from universities and one, the chairperson, comes from the private consulting sector (see attached list of names and functions).
1.1.2 Status of IHP-IV activities
1.1.3 Decisions regarding contributions to/participation in HIP-V
Proposed Action Plan for Groundwater: So far the Committee has concentrated on finding ways to participate in IHP-V Theme 3 - Groundwater Resources at Risk. Within this it is currently developing a proposal to be submitted to the Ministry of Hydraulic and Electrical Resources to allow it to initiate a programme to cover some selected aspects of this theme, within the existing constraints of shortage of staff and scantiness of funds.
Summary of previous groundwater studies: The Committee has initiated a study to locate and obtain copies of all previous studies related to groundwater that have been prepared for Lebanon. Following the actual collection of the material a summary of all recommendations and conclusions formulated in such studies will be prepared. This will be of great help to many researchers, particularly as far as any work to be initiated under the item mentioned above.
1.2 Activities at the national level in the framework of the MP 1.2.1 National/local scientific and technical meetings
1.2.2 Participation in IHP Steering Committees/Working Groups 1.2.3 Research/applied projects supported or sponsored
The Committee has supported specific actions related to required personnel for assuring the appropriate development of the currently ongoing programme for electronic surface water flow gauging, recording, processing and abstraction of data.
1.2.4 Collaboration with other national and international organizations/programmes 1.2.5 Other initiatives
The Committee co-ordinated activities associated with World Water Day in 1997 and 1998. It is presently organizing a contest among second- and third-year (elementary) students in public and private schools throughout Lebanon associated with ideas on savings in water use. Students have been asked to present original coloured or black and white drawings and/or sketches demonstrating their idea of saving on water use. Prizes have been solicited from a local organization for best presentations in each school and on a national level.
1.3 Educational and training courses 1.3.1 Contribution to IHP courses 1.3.2 Organization of specific courses 1.3.3 -Participation in IHP courses 1.4 Publications
1.5 Participation in international scientific meetings 1.5.1 Meetings hosted by the country
1.5.2 Participation in meetings abroad The Committee has:
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2.
2.1
participated in the Seventh Regional Meeting of the Arab National Committees of the IHP of UNESCO, in Rabat, September 1997;
selected two participants, one from the Committee, and facilitated their attending the Policy Dialogue on Water Legislation in the Mediterranean Basin within the framework of METAP in March 1998, in Geneva.
Other activities at regional level 1.6.1 Institutional relations/co-operation
1.6.2 Completed and ongoing scientific projects
FUTURE ACTIVITIES
Activities foreseen until December 1999 Accomplishment of Theme 3 of the IHP-V programme.
2.2 Activities planned for 2000-2001 No specified activities have been identified.
2.3 Activities envisaged in the long term No specific activities have been identified.
ANNEX I
National Hydrological Committee
List of.Constituent Members and their Present Responsibilities
Dr Salim W. Macksoud
Director, Division of Engineering Sciences and Technology,
National Council for Scientific Research Consultant,
National Council for Scientific Research
Chairman,
Executive Council for Large Development Projects (Ex-Director General, Ministry of Hydraulic & Electric Resources)
Director General,
Ministry of Hydraulic & Electric Resources Head of Water Resources Department, Litani River Authority
Advisor to the Minister,
Ministry of Hydraulic & Electric Resources Professor,
ANNEX II
DIFFICULTIES FACED BY THE COMMITTEE
1. MATERIAL ASPECTS
The two members of the Committee that come from the National Council for Scientific Research have so far assured a regular meeting place for the Committee. The secretarial requirements for calling meetings, typing and distributing minutes of meetings, as well any required international communications have also so far been mostly met by the National Council.
However, there are no dedicated staff members for follow-up and no specific annual budget for the Committee has been arranged for.
Thus there are no funds for meeting minor expenses nor for paying honorariums for attending meetings. Based on the experience of many National Committees in other countries, such honorariums, though symbolic, will encourage fuller attendance/participation in meetings.
More significantly there is no provision for paying any travel expenses for attending international meetings. Members have to make their own arrangements for providing the required funds - either personally or through the Government Department or University in which they work.
2. ATTITUDES AND DISPOSITIONS
The Government of Lebanon is going through a difficult time concerning the provision of adequately trained and motivated professionals in most departments, particularly in the water field. Furthermore, available funds are hardly ample to meet the basic needs for rehabilitation and urgent expansions in water distribution systems. As such, any long-term measures necessitated by environmental considerations and associated with preserving the quality of both surface and groundwater do not take top priority. Public awareness of the importance of such protective measures is also still very low.
Monitoring the performance of wells, identifying sources of pollution of ground and surface water and accordingly taking the appropriate measures for long-term sustainability - are actually given minor attention by the concerned authorities. These are the domains in which the Committee believes it should be able to be active. The main challenge the Committee faces is to be able to convince senior Government officials of the urgency for action in these fields.
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