1. Water Self-Sufficiency for the
Rock Village Lebanon
Mid-Review
Erik Friede, Nina Martin, Santo Leung, and Desmond Ngochi

2. Field Trip
Field trip: 19 - 22 March 2013
• Broumana
• Beirut
• Terbol
• Baalbek
• Arnoun

3. Before the trip
• Reclaimed land since 2000
• 1st year SGT group's focus on renewable
energy sources
• Hydrological and geological report on the
region
• Established Al-Amal NGO
• Two years of farming on parts of the land
• Experience with 5 types of native seeds
o Faba beans, chickpeas, wheat, bulgur, lentils

4. 19.3: Al-Amal Institute
Sweater & Wheat Program

5. Goals for the Rock Village
• Self-Sustaining Agriculture
• Water Independence
• Energy Independence
• Residence home for the disabled
• Integrated welfare programme

6. 21.3: Agriculture - ICARDA
• Dr. Hassan Machlab
• International Center for Agricultural Research
in Dry Areas
• 1 of 15 Centers Worldwide - each under
same global mission, but own regional
mandates

7. ICARDA
Primary goal in Lebanon:
o to provide farmers with technology to increase
production
o to optimise agricultural methods through training
• Breed appropriate seeds for a specific region
• Market relevance and value of native seeds
• access to regions largest gene bank in Syria

8. ICARDA
• Can provide knowledge and info on proper
growing techniques but due to lack of funds
cannot get more involved than providing
initial seed
• Does not focus on organic or small-scale
farming
• Rock Village responsible for own seed
multiplication

9. 22.3: Litani Water Administration of Nabatieh
• Services South Lebanon
• Over $100,000 to install a well; cheaper to
put down new pipes
• All approvals come from the ministry in
Beirut
• Does not maintain the network
• Claims drinking water quality
• Does not focus on training, sustainable

10. 22.3: Confederation of Municipalities Union
of Shqif Region
Primary problems to address regionally:
1. Water
- Only 40% of ground water harvested is
actually distributed
- Other 60% stolen/wasted due to poor
maintenance
2. Electricity
- only 6 hours of electricity from the grid
- private generators use costly fuel
3. Infrastructure

11. 22.3: Rock Village Site Visit
• Met with Castro – Local Farmer
o Currently uses 10 kg of fertilizer
o $34/kg

12. Fawaz Katby - Mayor of Arnoun
• Village receives water - 400 m3/week
• Addition of wells --> 90m3/hour
• Requires 2 pumps, supported by diesel
generators during eletricity cuts
• Considers new well as long-term solution
• Plans to demolish rain water reservoir
• Tobacco farms use waste water

13. 23.3 American University of Beirut
(AUB)
• CCES - Centre of Civic Engagement and
Community Service
• Finnish Foreign Ministry/EU support

14. What We Learned
• Government is unreliable and ineffective
• People search for short-term solutions
• Very little concern for conservation of
resources
• Corruption affects foreign financial aid
AUB wants to get involved, but need more data
and hard scientific research before they can
create the program

15. Where We're Going..
• Rainwater Collection
o including possibility of dew collection
o assessing existing reservoirs' structure
and access
o advanced research and mapping of the
area
 local and national cooperation, full-time
expert

16. Rainwater Collection
1. Catchment area
2. Gutters and downspouts
3. Leaf screens and roof washers
4. Cisterns and storage tanks
5. Conveying
6. Water treatment

17. Rainwater Quality considerations
• Generally safe for consumption and other potable
uses without treatment but dependent on:
o Potential pollutants on collection surface
o Maintenance and condition of storage facilities
o Location - industrial area? Urban area with
concentrated motor vehicle emissions?
Simplest solution is to boil water before consumption
• Not always accepted and some complain of altered taste
Other methods, e.g. chlorinated disinfection system, require
additional infrastructure and increases costs

18. Where we're going
• Develop plan for water conservation
awareness
• Waterless sanitation for the future of Rock
Village
• Develop timeline for construction of
residence

19. Waterless Sanitation
• Composting vs Dehydrating
• Eliminate Sewage
• 70-90% volume reduction
• Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
o Key elements in fertilizer

20. Where We're Going..
• Agriculture implementation plan
o seed multiplication
o possibility of rock village becoming agricultural
learning center
o sustainable farming methods