We spoke to Saoud, a mentor in his community in Bekaa. He discusses the main health challenges that are affecting his community due to insecure water quality.

Saoud shares how his community has been struggling with health conditions such as cancer and rashes for the past years, and were not aware of the reason until they tested the water quality.Saoud highlights the importance of understanding the root cause of the problem in order to address it with sustainable solutions. He concludes that the community requires knowledge mobilization to develop environmental and social awareness in order to protect our water resources and our health.

We spoke to Jehane and Erica from Turba Farms. They are leading a regenerative agriculture farm focusing on organic production, soil conservation and seed preservation. Jehane and Erica  discuss the water challenges they face on their farm given their location is near the Litani River.

Jehane and Erica highlight on the Litani River pollution coming from the untreated wastewater of nearby refugee camps and industries, and how its affecting the groundwater’s quality, crops quality and environmental health. As a means of responding to the challenges, they mention that Turba is currently innovating in the sector  to help reduce the effects of untreated water. Jehane and Erica conclude by mentioning that Turba aims to raise awareness about the importance of regenerative agricultural practices and water conservation, but this can only be achieved by having a collective and holistic approach in responding to the water challenges.

We spoke to Angela, a woman running her own business. She is selling locally produced pantry products. Angela discusses how the water challenges are affecting her business directly.

Angela first introduces the water’s geography of her hometown, Nahle, and how it used to be known for its water abundance, However, today, they are being challenged with water scarcity and drought. She elaborates on how her business is vitally dependent on water availability. Angela mentions that she used to cultivate her own crops to prepare the products, but now due to water scarcity, she is unable to properly irrigate and maintain  her farms, which affected her business and income. Angela concludes that water management is fundamental, as water is interconnected with various sectors such as energy, economy and agriculture