Rasamny: Combating floods requires collective responsibility, not finger-pointing
9/24/2025 5:15:29 PM
Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny stressed that tackling Lebanon’s recurring flood crisis demands collective responsibility, warning that “reckless dumping of garbage is one of the main causes that turn rain from a blessing into a curse.”
Rasamny spoke during a press conference on the Dbayeh highway, one of the country’s most vulnerable flood-prone areas, alongside representatives from the Council for Development and Reconstruction, the Interior and Energy ministries, Urban Planning, and the Municipality of Dbayeh and Ramco.
Rasamny outlined the ministry’s winter preparedness plan, which includes deploying emergency teams at black spots, intensifying road monitoring, cleaning drainage networks and replacing damaged pipelines, and obliging contractors such as Ramco and City Blue to collect waste consistently.
Moreover, the Public Works Minister said that recent works had addressed critical sites, including the airport highway, Damour, and Jounieh, with repairs underway in Dbayeh.
“Floods are not inevitable; they are the result of neglect and mismanagement,” he said. “The solution lies in cooperation between ministries, municipalities, contractors, and citizens alike.”
Urban Planning Director-General Ali Ramadan highlighted the role of illegal construction in exacerbating water shortages and called for adopting climate-conscious building standards that preserve green spaces and promote rainwater harvesting.
Rasamny spoke during a press conference on the Dbayeh highway, one of the country’s most vulnerable flood-prone areas, alongside representatives from the Council for Development and Reconstruction, the Interior and Energy ministries, Urban Planning, and the Municipality of Dbayeh and Ramco.
Rasamny outlined the ministry’s winter preparedness plan, which includes deploying emergency teams at black spots, intensifying road monitoring, cleaning drainage networks and replacing damaged pipelines, and obliging contractors such as Ramco and City Blue to collect waste consistently.
Moreover, the Public Works Minister said that recent works had addressed critical sites, including the airport highway, Damour, and Jounieh, with repairs underway in Dbayeh.
“Floods are not inevitable; they are the result of neglect and mismanagement,” he said. “The solution lies in cooperation between ministries, municipalities, contractors, and citizens alike.”
Urban Planning Director-General Ali Ramadan highlighted the role of illegal construction in exacerbating water shortages and called for adopting climate-conscious building standards that preserve green spaces and promote rainwater harvesting.