$1 million for agricultural planning

World Bank funds installations to track water resources via satellite

A grant agreement signed between Lebanon and the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility (GEF) was ratified on March 30. Through the agreement, signed last January, the GEF will pay $1.05 million to fund a project to improve water resources and agricultural planning.

Last June, the World Bank approved a $4.6 million grant to finance water resource-related projects in Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt. The projects entail the mapping of water levels in reservoirs and rivers, rainfall patterns, and soil moisture via satellite. 

The grant allocated for Lebanon will be used for the purchase and installation of a Water Information System Platform (WISP) and its supplementary equipment. The WISP will enable the government to receive satellite data and use it to track the impact of increased temperatures and reduced rainfall and predict droughts.

The system will benefit projects related to the Ministry of Energy and Water, Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Environment. The project will be implemented through the National Council for Scientific Research (CNSR).

The project constitutes three basic parts: Improving local water resources and agricultural management, capacity building and project management, and regional integration and cooperation.

Reported by Hanadi Chami