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Saida

2 Stories - 23 Images - 1 Contributors
Since the early 1980s the garbage deposit site in Saida has been open and since then it has only grow in size. In 2008 the garbage mountain on the site was 50 meters high and 375 long. It consists mainly of household waste, construction waste, industrial and farmland waste and waste from butchers and hospitals. On Lebanon’s southern coast there is a constant south-west wind, which blows the gasses which have built up on the garbage mountain towards Saida on a regular basis. Toxins often find their way into the sea. In the past 5-6 years it has become common for trash to fall into the sea. In February 2008, 150 tonnes fell into the ocean as a result of an earthquake. The wind also carries the trash towards northern beaches. According to an article about the port of Saida, the Iskandar Bay between the old port and the new port is to be developed to become more attractive for tourist. The promenade has been redeveloped; enough space has been created for cafes and street merchants. However, what one finds in the bay is beyond any expectation. At the southern end of the bay, there once was a beach but now that beach is covered with plastic bottles, plastic bags, and lots of other garbage. That is not exactly a great advertisement for a tourist town such as Saida. South of the Bay a busy dustman is doing his job. Holding a broom and a garbage can, he cleans the sidewalk of the Rafic El Hariri Street. One would think that all the garbage he collects goes into the trash but here the trash lands next to the sidewalk. With so much trash already there what harm can a little extra do? Is that the garbage mountain of which so much has already been reported? Between the fresh spring green and the yellow of the Crown Daisies the car tires and construction garbage is heaped. Even a dog has found his last resting place here under the open sky. Now the garbage mountain of Saida comes into sight. You can already smell it before you lay eyes on it. Behind the buildings a green mountain covered in many flowers. White wagtails and sparrows have found a home here, if only the smell was not so bad. In the summer it will be much worse. More on this topic: <b>REPUBLIC OF LEBANON Ministry of Public Health</b> Dr. Ali Jaber <a href='http://www.emro.who.int/ceha/pdf/beach_leb1.pdf '>Beach water, Pool water Standards and Surveillance</a> <b>Lebanon Hotspot Report: the Garbage Mountain</b> Refaat Saba <a href='http://www.ipen.org/ipepweb1/library/ipep_pdf_reports/5leb%20lebanon%20hotspot%20garbage%20mountain.pdf'>Association pour la Protection de l’Environnement et du Patrimoine (APEP)</a> <a href='http://zawya.com/printstory.cfm?storyid=ZAWYA20080306103334&l=103300080306'>Recycling - The potential of garbage</a> <a href='http://www.france24.com/ar/20080623-lebanon-saida-trash-mountain-security'>صيدا: جبل العار</a>

Environment

The garbage mountain of Saida

Beach pollution Iskandar bay (Saida / Lebanon) Garbage dump of Saida / Lebanon. Photos from 17. March 2009

by F MK in Lebanon on 27/04/2009

Ich gehe gerne am Strand spazieren. Ich genieße den Blick über das Meer und Strand. Es gibt so vieles zu entdecken. Kleine hübsche Muscheln und Steine, vom Meer und Sand abgeschliffene bunte Glasscherben, Bernsteine, angespülte Algen, kleine Krabben, manchmal eine Schnecke in der man das Meer rauschen hört und anderes Strandgut. Das Strandgut ist immer etwas besonderes, es regt die Fantasie an. So war es früher und so ist es wohl vielerorts immer noch. Auch bei meinem letzten Strandspaziergang gab es einiges zu entdecken. Ich war an einem Strand nördlich vom Hafen der libanesischen Stadt Saida. Es ist der Strand bei der Courniche El Baher. Ich war darauf gefasst tote Meereslebewesen zu sehen, aber mit toten Landessäugern habe ich nicht gerechnet. Wie kommen die toten Ratten und Mäuse an den Strand, woher die Lumpen? Ist vielleicht ein Schiff untergegangen, man sagt ja, als letztes verlassen die Ratten das Schiff. …. Nein! Diese toten Tiere haben in der Mülldeponie von Saida gelebt, die sich direkt am Meer im Süden der Stadt befindet. Bei Stürmen besonders im Winter werden regelmäßig größere Mengen von Müll mitgerissen und an den umliegenden Stränden wieder angespült. Zum Sommer, wenn die Touristen kommen müssen die Strände wieder sauber sein, wohin mit dem Müll? Wieder zurück wo er herkam. Ein Teufelskreis. Ich werde wiederkommen um mir ansehen woher dieser Müll kommt.

Environment

Beach pollution

Beach pollution in March 2009 Saida / Lebanon.

by F MK in Lebanon on 12/04/2009

27/04/2009 - The garbage mountain of Saida - Lebanon - Beach pollution Iskandar bay (Saida /...
12/04/2009 - Beach pollution - Lebanon - Beach pollution in March 2009 Saida /...

Latest News

The garbage mountain of Saida

Environment

The garbage mountain of Saida

Beach pollution Iskandar bay (Saida / Lebanon) Garbage dump of Saida / Lebanon. Photos from 17. March 2009
by F MK, on 27th of April 2009
Beach pollution

Environment

Beach pollution

Beach pollution in March 2009 Saida / Lebanon.
by F MK, on 12th of April 2009

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