Contaminated land, farmers at risk

In southern Lebanon, decades of conflict have left an invisible yet lasting mark. Contaminated soils and destroyed ecosystems leave agriculture in agony. Between alarming scientific data and testimonies from farmers forced to abandon their lands, the urgency of environmental reconstruction emerges as an essential condition for the survival of rural communities.

AI Index: Mediterranean Knowledge Library
A contaminated land, farmers on the brink
22-med – April 2026
• In southern Lebanon, agricultural soils are contaminated by heavy metals and war residues, endangering food security.
• Between ecosystem destruction and health risks, agricultural revival depends on heavy and uncertain environmental restoration.
#lebanon #agriculture #environment #pollution #war #soil #foodsecurity #ecosystem

In Lebanon, the war has not only destroyed houses and roads. It has profoundly altered the soils, air, water, and ecosystems, transforming once fertile agricultural lands into risk zones. According to a report by the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L) and the Ministry of Environment, this environmental degradation poses a direct threat to food security, public health, and rural livelihoods.

In some regions, at the border with Israel, such as Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil, or Nabatiyeh, agriculture, particularly olive growing, was at the heart of the local economy. Today, it is paralyzed.

Agricultural soils turned toxic

One of the most concerning findings is the contamination of soils. Analyses conducted on 134 samples reveal the presence of heavy metals, including chromium, zinc, or copper at levels sometimes far exceeding acceptable agricultural thresholds.

In nearly 45% of the samples, chromium exceeds the authorized limits, with concentrations deemed “very high” in more than half of the cases. These pollutants come from ammunition residues, explosions, and industrial debris.

Adding to this is a worrying anomaly with very high concentrations of phosphorus, possibly linked to the use of white phosphorus. They have been detected in several agricultural areas, including outside officially targeted zones, rendering these soils unsuitable for cultivation, or producing potentially dangerous crops for consumption.

Farmers between forced abandonment and permanent danger

On the ground, scientific data takes on a human face.

In Hula, Khairallah Yaacoub observes his devastated orchard. “We spent long hours plowing, planting, and harvesting. But the fighting destroyed everything.”

Agriculture is no longer just difficult, it has become dangerous. “Today, the Israeli army can send me a warning via a drone… and if I don’t retreat, I can be directly bombed.”

The same observation in Blida, where Hussein Daher describes a scene that has become commonplace. “An Israeli drone appeared above me… a few minutes later, it dropped a bomb where I was.”

Beyond the immediate danger, the economic impact is catastrophic. “Before, we produced hundreds of cans of olive oil, today, we produce nothing.”

In some localities, entire families have lost their only source of income, with losses estimated at tens of thousands of dollars per season. This economic fragility is part of a broader deterioration of natural environments.

Durably affected ecosystems

The degradation is not limited to the soil. The CNRS-L report highlights a massive destruction of agricultural ecosystems, with more than 2,000 hectares of orchards burned, including many olive groves, and nearly 5,000 hectares of forests ravaged.

This disappearance of vegetation cover disrupts the entire agricultural system. Pollinators are directly affected. Nearly 50,000 beehives have been destroyed, compromising pollination, which is essential for production.

At the same time, soil erosion is accelerating in the absence of vegetation, further reducing their fertility. The destruction of irrigation systems exacerbates these imbalances and complicates any resumption of activity.

Contaminated air and water, an additional pressure

There is also an alteration of other environmental components. Bombings and fires have degraded air quality, with fine particle levels far exceeding World Health Organization recommendations.

These pollutants affect human health, but also crops by disrupting their development. At the same time, surface waters are contaminated by runoff from burned soils, carrying heavy metals and chemical residues to rivers and groundwater.

The whole forms an agricultural system caught in a chain of imbalances, where each factor reinforces the others.

Restoring durably degraded lands

Despite the extent of the damage, there are avenues for rehabilitating agricultural lands, but they involve long, costly, and technically supervised interventions.

The first step concerns soil depollution. The report mentions phytoremediation, which involves using certain plants capable of absorbing pollutants, as well as the addition of amendments to stabilize heavy metals. Depending on the level of contamination, these operations can cost between 200 and 4,000 dollars (approximately 180 to 3,700 euros) per hectare, which limits their large-scale deployment.

On the ground, these solutions remain theoretical for many farmers. Beyond these techniques, restoration involves a gradual reconstruction of environments. This includes replanting destroyed olive groves and forests, stabilizing soils to slow erosion, and protecting the most sensitive agricultural areas. Restoring irrigation systems is also a key lever to revive production.

Experts also emphasize the need to integrate these actions into a more comprehensive reconstruction approach, aiming to make agricultural systems more resilient. This involves developing sustainable farming practices, improving water management, and relying more on nature-based solutions.

Finally, managing the waste from destruction remains a major challenge. Millions of tons of rubble left by the war must be handled carefully to avoid further contamination of soils and groundwater.

Reconstruction under constraint

In southern Lebanon, the question is no longer just about when the fighting will stop, but what will be left to cultivate afterward. Behind the houses to be rebuilt, there are soils to diagnose, decontaminate, sometimes abandon. Scientific data confirms it, and farmers are already experiencing it: without environmental restoration, no sustainable resumption of agricultural activity is possible.

In these territories, reconstruction will involve both laboratories and fields. Identifying cultivable areas, supporting farmers, restoring ecosystems: these are essential steps to prevent the current crisis from turning into an irreversible shift. Because here, the land is not just a backdrop to war. It has become one of its first victims.