Economics of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from solid waste in Lebanon

Abstract

Global climate change has been one of the challenging environmental concerns facing policy makers over the past decade. The characterization of the wide range of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission sources and sinks, as well as their behavior in the atmosphere, remains a continuing activity in many countries. Solid waste is considered a source of greenhouse gas emissions owing to microbial decomposition of organic materials, which constitute the greater portion of solid waste. The extent of these emissions is highly dependent on waste management practices. In many countries, landfills remain an essential part of any waste management system and often the only economic form of municipal solid waste disposal. This paper describes solid waste management practices in Lebanon, estimates the corresponding current and future greenhouse gas emissions from this sector, and proposes mitigation alternatives to reduce these emissions. An economic assessment of these alternatives in the context of characteristics specific to the country is also presented in terms of equivalent cost of emission reduction.