Water management in Lebanon : a confiscated reform ?[La gestion de l'eau au Liban : une réforme confisquée ?]

The premise of this paper is that there has been a significant shift in the prevailing discourse on water resources in Lebanon over the past century. In contrast to the widespread confidence in the country's abundant water resources at the beginning of the 20th century, the dominant view today is that there is likely to be a serious water shortage by 2030. This discursive shift contrasts sharply with the legislative and regulatory inertia surrounding water laws despite repeated attempts at modernization by successive regimes and authorities (Ottoman Empire, French Mandate and modern state). Water rights in Lebanon have always been closely linked to land tenure. Today, the appropriation of land and water resources is a major focus of political and economic debate. This paper has two objectives. First, it provides a historical overview of legal and institutional reforms adopted in the water sector. A distinction is made between four main periods: the Ottoman period (Mecelle), the French Mandate period, the post-independence period (1943-1990) and the post-war period (i.e. the reconstruction period). The paper shows that there have been constant and intense power struggles between multiple actors seeking to maintain multiple systems of resource appropriation.