Publication date: 4 February 2026
Water scarcity in the Bekaa has shifted from a chronic stressor into an immediate driver of social instability and mistrust, as deepening drought, collapsing infrastructure, and overlapping crises converge with limited governance and expanding informal water economies to fuel tensions within and between communities and institutions. The roundtable convened under the WEAM project in December 2025 positioned water governance as a core peacebuilding and social stability priority, generating evidence-based, conflict-sensitive recommendations for emergency water security measures, structural governance reforms, and inclusive dialogue mechanisms to reduce tensions and protect the most vulnerable, including refugees.