The Media Line: Drought Drains Lebanon’s Largest Lake, Threatening Livelihoods and Ecosystem  

Drought Drains Lebanon’s Largest Lake, Threatening Livelihoods and Ecosystem  

By The Media Line Staff 

Lebanon’s largest freshwater lake is facing an unprecedented crisis, leaving residents of the Beqaa Valley anxious about their future.  

At the Qaraoun Dam, fishermen who have made a living for decades notice that lake is now just a small pond after years of dwindling rainfall and intense summer heat, which has exceeded 40 degrees celsius.   

Once a hub for fishing, tourism, and recreation, the lake on the Litani River has been reduced to just 57 million cubic meters of water—far below its usual capacity. According to Litani River Authority officials, this year’s rainfall was only about one-eighth of the annual average. The shortage has already forced hydropower plants to shut down, cutting electricity to dozens of communities in western Beqaa and Jezzine.  

The ecological toll is also mounting. Fish have died off, migratory birds have vanished, and submerged relics—like a 1959 bird observation tower hidden for more than half a century—now sit exposed on the dry lakebed. With feeder springs gone dry, experts warn the water level could drop further before the rainy season arrives in four months, raising the risk of “complete ecological collapse” in the basin.  

Environmental experts urge immediate measures, from water rationing and pollution control to alternative sourcing. But for Ammar, the loss feels deeply personal: “It’s not just the lake drying up. It’s my entire way of life disappearing.”