By Editorial Team · Published 12 Nov 2026 11:51 UTC
Updated 12 Nov 2026 11:51 UTC · Sources checked 12 Nov 2026 11:51 UTC
What Lebanon brought to the summit
At the COP31 climate summit in Antalya on November 12, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called for the country’s recovery to include restoring farmland and ecosystems and reviving livelihoods. He put the environmental toll of the 2023–2024 conflict at more than $512 million and said Lebanon had suffered further damage in 2026. The reports of his remarks gave no new total for that year.
Environment Minister Tamara El Zein told The National that war damage threatens Lebanon’s ability to meet some of its climate goals. She described difficulties reaching some affected areas to monitor damage. Those gaps matter when judging how much land can be restored and how much the work might cost.
Sources: Naharnet Anadolu Agency The National
Three different measures
The World Bank assessed damage across Lebanon from October 2023 through December 2024. In its chapter on the environment and debris management, it put physical damage at $512 million. Most of that estimate was for harm to natural resources. The rest covered damage to the solid waste system.
The same chapter estimated $790 million in losses. That measure includes the value of services damaged ecosystems could no longer provide, such as filtering water and reducing erosion. The bank separately estimated $444 million in recovery needs for that sector. That figure is an estimate of what work would cost. It does not represent money pledged or paid.
Sources: World Bank
What existing funding covers
The World Bank approved $250 million in initial financing for Lebanon’s Emergency Assistance Project in June 2025. The project covers debris management and restoring essential public services and infrastructure damaged in the earlier conflict. It was designed to expand if more financing becomes available.
The project and the environmental estimate answer different questions. A loan that covers debris management and public services tells us little about how much farmland or habitat will be restored. A comparable assessment of damage from 2026 and public records of funding and completed work would help track the wider recovery Salam described.
Sources: World Bank World Bank
What remains uncertain
This report reflects sources available on November 12, 2026. The World Bank’s environmental assessment covers the earlier conflict through December 2024. The additional environmental toll in 2026 and any new funding commitments tied to the COP31 appeal remain unquantified here.
Source notes
- Naharnet Independent outlet
Lebanese reporting on the prime minister’s remarks and recovery priorities
- Anadolu Agency State news agency
wire report quoting Nawaf Salam’s environmental estimate and reference to further damage in 2026
- World Bank Ownership / affiliation unverified
primary assessment of damage, losses and needs for the 2023–2024 conflict, including the environment and debris chapter
- World Bank Ownership / affiliation unverified
primary description of the emergency assistance project, its financing and eligible activities
- The National Ownership / affiliation unverified
original interview with Environment Minister Tamara El Zein about climate targets and barriers to recovery