Litani River Basin Management Support

To support improved, more efficient and sustainable water resource management in the Litani River Basin, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Litani River Basin Management Support (LRBMS) program that will assist the Litani River Authority (LRA) transform into a River Basin Agency. LRBMS will provide technical support to the LRA, procure specialized equipment, and implement limited scale infrastructure activities.

This program is part of USAID’s increasing support to Lebanon’s water sector, in coordination with other donors, for the benefit of all Lebanon.

LRBMS involves four components:

• Capacity-Building for LRA and main stakeholders in the Litani River Basin: to support legal, institutional, and policy reforms that would allow the equitable and sustainable development and management of water and related resources for the benefit of all;
• Long-Term Water Monitoring: to ensure the routine collection of water data for information-based decision-making processes;
• Integrated Irrigation Management: to improve irrigation practices with benefits for farmers, public health and pollution mitigation;
• Qaraoun Dam and Litani River Monitoring System: to mitigate the risks associated with the Qaraoun Dam and floods in the Litani River Basin.

Launched in 2009, this $8 million USAID funded program will be implemented by International Resources Group and will end in September 2012.