Lebanon’s crisis of economic and political instability has led to severe deficits in infrastructural provision and essential public services, from electricity cuts and fuel shortages, to new pressures on water systems and waste management. This raises a number of important questions about current and future possibilities for post-crisis recovery: What happens to infrastructures and public services in times of economic decline and political instability? What possibilities are there to create social and material infrastructures for essential service delivery in the context of severe resource constraint? And what are the kinds of research, innovations and interventions that are needed to deliver positive change on quality of life? ‘Infrastructural Solutions for Lebanon’s Turbulent Times’ is a symposium that begins to address these questions in a transdisciplinary way – not just from the perspective of university academics but also from the point of view of entrepreneurs, NGOs, and citizen social scientists.

Panel 1 - Discarding Infrastructures: Waste Politics in Lebanon and Beyond 

Speakers: Elizabeth Saleh (AUB and IAS, Princeton), Hanna Baumann (IGP), Nikolett Puskas (IGP and RELIEF Centre)

Chair: Nikolay Mintchev (IGP and RELIEF Centre)

Panel 2 - Water and Energy Synergies and Policies

Speakers: Marc Ayoub (Issam Fares Institute AUB ), Hassan Harajli (UNDP), Suzy Houayek (Ministry of Energy and Water)

Chair: Nadim Farajallah (Issam Fares Institute AUB)

Panel 3 – Citizen-led interventions for Lebanon’s infrastructural challenges

Speakers: Mayssa Jallad (RELIEF Centre), Batoul Yassine (Beirut Urban Lab), Ghadir Ghamrawi (Khatib & Alami, RELIEF Centre), Joana Dabaj (Catalytic Action) 

Chair: Mariam Daher (RELIEF Centre)