Mapping Ecocide in Lebanon Project

Mapping Ecocide in Lebanon Project (2024–2025)
Implemented by: Green Southerners Association
In partnership with: Public Works Studio

Introduction and Context

The “Mapping Ecocide in Lebanon” project represents one of the first research-based and field-oriented initiatives dedicated to assessing the environmental impact of white phosphorus (WP) used during the 2023–2024 assault on South Lebanon. The project integrates field documentation, resident testimonies, laboratory analysis, and a rights-based approach to produce a scientifically grounded record of contamination and environmental damage, with the objective of informing future accountability and remediation efforts.

Study Area and Field Framework

The town of Kfarkela was selected as the primary case study due to its intensive exposure to white phosphorus munitions. Green Southerners documented eight strike locations based on coordinates provided by the municipality and local residents. Continuous shelling and the displacement of the population made direct access to contaminated lands extremely limited, turning community-based information into a central component of the documentation process.

Data Collection Methodology

The project relied on a multi-layered approach combining interviews, georeferenced reports, and remotely obtained data. Interviews were conducted with displaced residents using anonymized forms to ensure safety. Strike coordinates were cross-checked with local observations and mapped through a GIS database linking each location with reported impacts. Satellite imagery (Sentinel Hub) was used to supplement information despite its limited utility after structural destruction obscured many surface indicators. The use of drones was avoided due to the risk of targeting, making municipal records and resident testimonies essential to establishing a reliable dataset.

Baseline Health Findings

Baseline forms completed by ten participants—comprising landowners and displaced residents—revealed a consistent pattern of respiratory symptoms among individuals exposed to white phosphorus strikes. Reported cases included chronic cough (three participants), long-term respiratory injury (two participants), and acute shortness of breath (two participants). Although the sample is small, the data reflect a clear health burden on populations living near strike zones.

Environmental Findings and Scientific Interpretation

Laboratory analysis of soil samples, collected by Green Southerners and Civil Defense teams, demonstrated the persistence of elemental white phosphorus in contaminated soils for more than twelve months when shielded from light. Samples also showed that phosphorus strips encased in a carbon layer retain internal reactivity, reigniting upon exposure to oxygen. Soil chemistry analysis revealed severe disruptions including increased acidity, damage to soil microorganisms, and visible wilting and necrosis in vegetation. These contaminated residues act as highly concentrated pollution hotspots capable of releasing toxic compounds continuously and potentially leaching into groundwater and surface water bodies.

Field Challenges and Operational Constraints

The project faced major challenges throughout implementation. Ongoing shelling prevented access to fields, and attempts by civilians to return resulted in casualties, raising the risk level for any field mission. Targeting of journalists limited the availability of updated visual material, and the presence of unexploded ordnance restricted movement near strike locations. These conditions made systematic field surveys impossible, increasing reliance on testimonies, pre-displacement documentation, municipal input, and laboratory evidence.

Preliminary Framework for Decontamination

The project developed an initial conceptual model for decontamination adapted to the particular hazards of white phosphorus. The model emphasizes establishing a dedicated operations room to manage geospatial data, training residents to identify WP residues, and equipping them with sealed tools for safe collection. Contaminated material would then be transferred to a centralized treatment unit consisting of drying basins, sieving stations, a high-temperature micro-incinerator, and a water-scrubber system designed to neutralize emitted gases and convert them into stable compounds. This framework constitutes a foundational step toward developing a national plan to manage contamination from incendiary munitions.

Conclusions and Rights-Based Implications

Available scientific data indicate long-term risks including soil infertility, water contamination, vegetation loss, and persistent respiratory conditions among exposed communities. The project underscores that attacks on natural resources during wartime constitute attacks on the rights of people to land, health, and identity, and amount to forms of ecocide that warrant international accountability. The findings reinforce the position that the toxic persistence and chemical behavior of white phosphorus make it functionally comparable to a chemical weapon, highlighting the urgent need to advocate for its reclassification under the Chemical Weapons Convention.