In the realm of Lebanese politics and thought, few figures have left a mark as profound as the late Maurice Gemayel. On the anniversary of his birth, it’s worth revisiting his forward-thinking vision for a revitalized Lebanon. Gemayel, a former MP and minister, famously declared that Lebanon should either be global or cease to exist. His blueprint, articulated with clarity, rested on three pillars: the human element, water, and electricity.
A Comprehensive Development Vision
Gemayel’s vision was remarkably prescient. He understood that in a time when Lebanese villages grappled with water scarcity, water was the essence of survival and stability. Therefore, he launched a series of ambitious development projects to secure water for agriculture, irrigation, and drinking, aiming to transform this precious resource from a wasted blessing into an organized national asset. Gemayel worked on comprehensive water maps for the regions of Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa, advocating for the establishment of groundwater and spring water collection networks, conveyed through canals and small dams to irrigate agricultural lands. He also called for the construction of strategic mountain reservoirs to be used during drought seasons, believing that every wasted drop of water represented a national loss.
One of his most forward-thinking ideas was the call to link water development with rural development. He believed that villages could not thrive without organized irrigation projects and that modern agriculture required scientific resource management. His grandson, Amin Iskandar, noted that his vision aimed to increase Lebanon’s water reserves from about 20 million cubic meters to about 850 million cubic meters. Today, seventy-five years after he proposed these projects, we have managed to build a dam that stores about eight million cubic meters, less than one percent of his project.
Electricity: Equality Among Regions
In addition to his focus on water, Gemayel envisioned a comprehensive plan to extend electrical power to remote villages, connecting them to a unified national grid. Iskandar highlights that his grandfather drew several maps and conducted various studies aimed at establishing small generation stations on Lebanese rivers, benefiting from water flow to generate clean energy, at a time when the concept of sustainable energy had not yet been born. Gemayel also supported the idea of decentralized energy, where each region could generate electricity locally instead of relying entirely on the capital.
He believed that electricity could stimulate the local economy, opening new horizons for craft and agricultural industries and reducing internal migration towards Beirut. Gemayel’s projects were not separate from his broader political vision. He considered the sound management of water and electricity a measure of the state’s success. He also advocated for the establishment of specialized institutions with scientific expertise, independent of political influence, operating according to long-term national plans. As Iskandar explains, his grandfather linked development with the social dimension, viewing water and electricity projects as a means to achieve regional justice, ensuring every Lebanese citizen’s right to basic services, wherever they may be.
A Vision That Endures
Decades after his passing, Maurice Gemayel’s ideas remain relevant. His vision for water and electricity stands as one of the primary intellectual pillars for sustainable development in Lebanon. He was ahead of his time when he spoke of resource management, clean energy, and fairness in service distribution. Today, amidst the crises Lebanon faces, his thinking seems like a call from the past, urging a return to planning, science, and responsibility. Gemayel left the mark of a reformer who did not merely criticize but offered alternatives, striving for a modern Lebanon, rooted in its values and advanced in its thought and projects.
Source: Annahar
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