This brings the total grants provided by the Italian government to support the water and environment sectors to over $99 million (EUR81 million), said Gabriel Kikya, Italian Ambassador to Lebanon.

The center will focus on developing studies that aim for a better management for the underground water resources, and surveying the total number of wells in the country.

The Minister of Water and Power, Gebran Bassil, stressed the importance of launching the center with the absence of enough studies on the available underground and surface water resources. “We hope this center will serve as a foundation stone for us to develop a complete map for our water reservoirs,” he said.