In the past two years, anyone who has flown over Beirut at night to land in the Lebanese capital has encountered vast areas of blackness punctuated by a few points of light.
Despite the fact that Lebanon has had power outages for years, the economic crisis has made energy instability worse and transformed the once-vibrant city of Beirut into a ghost town.
The financial crisis that started in October 2019 has also caused a multifaceted problem that is affecting every sector of the nation. Additionally, it has left millions of people suffering in the dark around the nation.
People at home have forced to rely on pricey, private diesel generators because the government-run Electricite du Liban (EDL) can only deliver electricity to houses for a few hours a day, if at all. Street and traffic lights have also ceased working.
Following the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, which claimed more than 200 lives and left extensive damage in the surrounding areas, a number of civic organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been forced to step in where the government failed to do so in order to lessen the effects of succeeding crises on both an individual and a community level.
They include Rebirth Beirut. In addition to providing food and medical assistance, plastic sheeting for the shattered windows, and organizing social and cultural projects, the Lebanese NGO assisted the most vulnerable victims of the explosion.
Then
it made the decision to illuminate Beirut's streets.
City of Life
Gabriel Fernaine started the organization in September 2020 as an immediate reaction to the aftermath of the Beirut bombing. It converted an abandoned building in Gemmayzeh, one of the neighborhoods most severely affected by the explosion, into a cultural center.
Rebirth Beirut's goal, as stated by Samar Hawa, the organization's project and development advisor, is to resurrect the city and restore hope to its citizens through a number of activities, such as lighting up the streets, restoring traffic signals, and filling potholes.
"Life is light. People can spend more time outside if there is light in the streets. Restaurants and shops can stay open later.”
"The response from the community was fantastic. After the public lights were relit, some restaurant owners informed us their profits rose. People use the streets more frequently and feel more secure at night.
Hawa claimed that Rebirth Beirut uses independent diesel generators to turn on the city's streetlights and contracts out the installation of electrical power cables. Private individuals who use their diesel generators to power street light poles are rewarded with a discount on their costs.
Rebirth Beirut has erected solar panels either on top of traffic signals or on the rooftops of buildings adjacent to crossroads to restore power to them.
The NGO has already lit up 22 streets in the city, and another 12 are expected to be illuminated by the end of August. 13 sets of traffic lights have been revived in the meantime.
Rebirth Beirut relies on private organizations and people for funding. In order to use a portion of the proceeds to launch new projects, it also organizes art exhibitions.
According to Hawa, living in the dark has demoralized people, and the initiative has provided them a sense of safety while also boosting the local economy.
"When it is dark, the historical perception of Beirut as a destination for nightlife is gone. However, when the light returns, you can recall Beirut's genuine character as a city of vitality "She spoke.
Two years of darkness
A street in Gemmayze that has been lit by the organization is where technical consultant Waleed Fernaine works. He says he has noticed greater activity there.
"This is a commendable effort. Compared to previously, when it was too dark to walk around the street, I saw more people strolling "said he.
The project's permissions have to be issued by Marwan Abboud, the governor of Beirut, according to Fernaine, who spoke to MEE.
When asked if authorized authorities should be in charge of supplying the city with electricity, he responded that the municipality is unable to do so because of a scarcity of electricity throughout the nation, the depreciation of the local currency, and financial difficulties.
"We made the decision to illuminate the city ourselves in this circumstance. We cannot hold off till the government acts. We would take too long to wait "said Fernaine.
"Additionally, we are maintaining the street lighting. We have been in the dark for more than two years, so we won't wait around for anyone."
The effects of the energy crisis on people and the community have been devastating, according to Mona Harb, professor of urban studies and politics at the American University of Beirut and co-founder of Beirut Urban Lab.
People feel less comfortable after dusk because of the absence of public electricity and the dark streets, she claimed.
Additionally, because you may not know where to walk, it may increase your chance of getting hurt, and the absence of functional street lighting has a bad impact on social life
Harb gave a few instances of how a shortage of electricity has harmed people's daily lives, claiming that it has affected all facets of daily life.
Food cannot be kept in the refrigerator without running the danger of deterioration and food poisoning. Due to the demand for electricity for water pumps, some communities experience water shortages
People are unable to use fans, air conditioning, or heaters during the long, hot summer days or the winter. For people who require access to electricity to function, working from home has also presented difficulties.
There
has been an increase in the number of people experiencing acute respiratory
issues due to pollution brought on by the widespread usage of generators.
Comments
Post a Comment