Beirut, Lebanon
Power Plant Forest
An air filter next to a Power Plant.
Zouk Mosbeh is home to the ‘power plant of death’, causing acute air pollution in its surrounding.
Smoke from the chimneys is visible for miles around. The spread of air pollution from the power plant makes Zouk Mosbeh one of the most polluted cities in Lebanon.
Forest Maker Adib Dada
720
Trees
200
Square meters
17
Native Species
“This forest will grow in between 2 busy streets, next to a flyover, the chaotic highway, and with the ‘power plant of death’ as a backdrop!”
— Adib Dada, founder theOtherDada
Forest Report: 1 Year
DATE: 23.11.2021
Survival Rate: 55%
Tallest Tree: 161cm
Survival rate is low due to lack of watering. There were not the resources to organise a permanent, effective irrigation system and with the political and economic challenges facing Beirut, it has been difficult to get volunteers to get to the site and water in any consistent way.
Still, we still see growth across species with the Wild Jasmine (Jasminum angulare) reaching a height of 161cm and the Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum) reaching 139cm. The smallest height is that of the Palestine Oak (Quercus calliprinos). The hope is that in year 2, watering will be done more consistently to support the forests continued development. On 30th of November 2021, over 300 native species were replanted.
Biodiversity Notes:
Forest Report: Planting
DATE: 23.11.2020
Forests create awareness!
The site is very visible because situated amidst a high-traffic area, which will serve as a great awareness-raising tool.
The forest will grow in a triangular strip between 2 busy streets, next to a flyover, the chaotic highway, and with the
‘power plant of death’ as a backdrop.
An air filter next to a Power Plant
Zouk Mosbeh is home to the ‘power plant of death’, causing acute air pollution in its surrounding.
Smoke from the chimneys is visible for miles around. The spread of air pollution from the power plant makes Zouk Mosbeh one of the most polluted cities in Lebanon.
Zouk Mosbeh Air Pollution
According to Greenpeace’s air pollution report of 2018, Lebanon’s city of Jounieh, the coastal city adjacent to
Zouk Mosbeh, ranked as the 5th most air polluted region in the Arab world and 23rd in the World in terms of pollution clusters, producing record levels of nitrogen dioxide. NO2 is a dangerous pollutant released in the air when fuel, such as oil and diesel, is burned. The main sources of NO2 pollution in Jounieh are the Zouk power plant and heavy traffic.
According to Greenpeace’s air pollution report of 2020, Lebanon suffers from the highest rates of premature deaths in the MENA region due to high air pollution levels.
The annual cost in Lebanon reaches USD 1.4 billion, which is the equivalent of 2% of the country’s GDP. This, too, is one of the highest rates in the region.
As we started the soil works, something rather unpleasant came to the light: a non-recorded high tension cable running through the site. We could hardly believe our eyes considering the many discussions with the municipality. The resilience of Adib & Dana (theOtherDada) knows no boundaries! We found a new site just a little higher up the road. As you can see, the Power Plant is still in sight.
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