Managing urban recovery through a people-centered digitized and multi-sectoral response during crisis in Lebanon.

Lebanon has witnessed several disasters in the past 5 years, in addition to a severe socio-economic crisis, collapse of the banking system and complete devaluation of the local currency, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Cholera Outbreak, the political deadlock including a presidential vacuum spanning 18+ months; the Beirut Port Explosion (BPE) in August 2020 and recently, the conflict in south Lebanon resulting from the war in Gaza marked two milestones of man-made disasters that impacted the lives of people and their basic needs in Lebanon.

The multi-faceted crisis in Lebanon has reduced the surviving capacities of already vulnerable Lebanese and non-Lebanese communities, including the ability of the state at national and local levels to continue to provide bare-necessary services to the public.

After the BPE and the south armed conflict, all entities launched a rapid mapping exercise, and a multi-sectoral needs assessment to respond to urgent needs and support local authorities prioritizing and coordinating all interventions by different actors and civil society organizations (CSOs) working on the ground. Both resulted in prioritizing the interventions and to coordinate efforts of CSOs and donors’ communities to support the most affected and leave no one behind.
Recently, the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) unit at the Presidency of the Council Of Ministers (PCM), Lebanese Red Cross, UN-Habitat Lebanon, and the National Center for Remoting Sensing (CNRS) intervened at the onset of conflict situation in south Lebanon to support coordination, reporting, mapping, assessments and response efforts hand in hand with local authorities in the conflict target areas. The intervention included a mapping exercise of displaced population, collective shelters to receive internally displaced populations (IDPs), a remote damage assessment for housing units and infrastructure, and a remote sensing mapping of the agricultural areas in south Lebanon.

Furthermore, a comprehensive platform has been jointly developed by the DRM unit and LRC to furnish essential information and data updates for risk-informed, data-driven decision-making, and effective crisis mitigation. This platform encompasses functions ranging from tracking internally displaced people, monitoring donations, assessing healthcare facilities, and registering Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs), to evaluating high-risk areas, mapping ongoing conflicts, and facilitating support requests. These sub-dashboards are instrumental in enhancing readiness and response capacities during times of crisis.

The event will show case how non-governmental organizations and public authorities can work together to support affected urban communities by disasters using a people centered digital platform to support prioritization and data-driven decision making. The event will be an opportunity to share successful practices and to learn from global/international best practices to enhance support to the Lebanese most vulnerable communities.

By adopting a people-centered, digitized, and multi-sectoral approach, urban recovery efforts in Lebanon can become more effective, inclusive, and responsive to the evolving challenges faced by crisis-affected communities.