Environment Agenda: Eco-warrior in a new book

By: Raed El Rafei
Daily Star, 8 March 2006

"The best thing that could usually happen to a writer is that his predictions turn out to be true, but in my case it is sad to witness environmental catastrophes that I have foreseen unfortunately taking place. I would have preferred to be wrong myself."

With these words, Najib Saab, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Environment & Development magazine, spoke of his latest book, "The Environment Agenda- fighting terrorism with development."

In his book, Saab argues how negligence and bad decisions have led to the deterioration of the state of the environment locally and regionally.

He describes, for instance, how his longtime assertions that Iraq's soil was polluted with radioactive material since the 1991 war were dismissed as exaggerations, or how his calls for implementing an integrated national plan to manage solid waste in Lebanon were met with negligence. The Iraqi Minister of Environment has lately admitted locating over 250 sites with radioactive pollution; Lebanese landscape became an open waste dump after a decade of improvised emergency measures.

The book reviews the most important local and international environmental topics which were discussed in the past years and exposes the relation between the environment on one hand and politics and economy on the other.

As a counter plan, the writer suggests a "comprehensive environmental program", starting with transforming the Ministry of Environment into a capable professional body, setting priorities, and introducing a National Environment Institute, as an independent organization entrusted with carrying and coordinating scientific research. "This would be a prerequisite for sound policies, as political decisions affecting the environment should be based on correct data and viable options." Saab explains that actions related to the environment are now based on rule of thumb. "No body can tell you what is the level of air pollution in Beirut, what was the effect of banning leaded fuel, or what is the quality of sea water." Saab mentions that his magazine often had to undertake field research, due to the lack of reliable data. The Hotline operated by Environment & Development tested the quality of water along the Lebanese coast and checked levels of noise in Beirut metropolitan area. Results were devastating. "You cannot develop policies in the absence of data," Saab argues.

But, for Saab, the success of any environmental strategy should be accompanied with an improvement of the social conditions. "Lebanese, and Arabs in general, are over-politicized. More attention should be placed on alleviating poverty and addressing essential socio-economic needs."

"Social stability and higher income enable people to make long-term choices for using resources," he writes. He adds, though, that poverty cannot continue to be used as an alibi to ignore environmental issues. "This is a sure recipe to keep us in a vicious circle."

Commenting on the book, Saab criticized the "big waste of financial resources coming from international donors, used for studies related to the environment without coordination and master plan, and many of these studies are a repetition of older ones and are rarely implemented." He argues that a National Environment Institute will put an end to such flaws.

As an example, Saab spoke of the millions of dollars spent on studies about pollution in the Litani River over the past ten years, without leading to any rehabilitation action. He comments. "We often lack the will and imagination, not resources."

Stressing the need for strict laws against those who harm the environment, Saab believes that raising awareness could not be the only strategy. After enacting appropriate laws and raising awareness, he asserts, it is cheaper and more efficient to employ one policeman than 50 garbage collectors.