This project's goal is to assess the soil contamination due to military operation in South Lebanon and its effects on the agricultural sector.
Amid escalating military operations and environmental devastation, the Janoub Soil Monitoring project aims to assess the extent of soil contamination in South Lebanon and its impacts on the traditional agricultural sector. Born as a partnership among Amel Italia, Amel Association International, and Source International, this initiative will contribute to building a database of war-related agricultural impacts in South Lebanon and inform further work on restoring agricultural production.
Since October 7, 2023, the southern regions of Lebanon have been severely impacted by Israeli attacks, resulting in widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure, agricultural land, and natural ecosystems.
More than one-third of the local population has been forcibly displaced.Beyond the visible damage, there is increasing concern about the environmental toll of the conflict - especially the possible use of banned weapons such as white phosphorus and depleted uranium. Fires, explosions, and military residue may have introduced hazardous substances into the soil, water, and air, posing long-term risks to human health, food security, and ecological resilience. Yet, no structured environmental monitoring assessing the scope of this contamination has been published, and this is why the Janoub Soil Monitoring seeks to fill this critical gap.
Photo taken by Flaviano Bianchini during the first campaign, that took place in Governorate of El Nabatieh in August 2025.
The project’s pilot phase – Turabna – aims to develop a robust methodology to investigate key soil pollutants – particularly heavy metals and substances associated with the use of white phosphorus – and to understand the risks these contaminants pose to agricultural communities living in, or returning to, conflict-affected areas.
By generating concrete evidence of environmental degradation, the project also seeks to support the development of targeted humanitarian interventions and inform long-term decontamination strategies.
The pilot includes: a land contamination survey, designed by Amel Italia and implemented on the ground by Amel Association International, to identify priority sites for soil sampling; a field campaign to collect soil samples for chemical analyses.
The findings will be compiled into a comprehensive set of outputs, including a detailed technical report, geographic maps, and visual infographics. These results will be shared through a coordinated communication and advocacy effort, designed to inform policy, support fundraising, and ensure that both local stakeholders and the broader humanitarian community have access to reliable, actionable data.
In August 2025, Source International joined Amel Italia and Amel International in the first campaign on the ground. The team collected 40 soil samples from private and public spaces located in the Governorate of El Nabatieh – including gardens, crop fields, and unused soils. The samples are currently being analyzed for key indicators of war-related pollution, including heavy metals like lead, cadmium, nickel, and uranium, and proxies for white phosphorus.
Photo taken by Flaviano Bianchini during the first campaign, that took place in Governorate of El Nabatieh in August 2025.
In April 2026, Source International, Amel Italia, and Amel Association International published the first technical report from the Turabna – Janoub Soil Monitoring pilot project: Legacy of conflict in South Lebanon’s soils. A companion factsheet was also released to summarize the main findings for communities, partners, and humanitarian actors.
Between August and November 2025, the project combined environmental sampling with community-based assessment activities in the Nabatieh and Marjaayoun Districts, in South Lebanon. The team analyzed 40 soil samples, interviewed 122 farmers, and conducted 3 focus group discussions with local farmers. The soil analysis shows a clear warning signal: between 2001 and 2025, the metals most directly associated with ammunition and military activity — lead, antimony, copper, and zinc — increased significantly in the sampled soils. These elements are commonly linked to bullets, cartridge cases, shrapnel, shell fragments, and other military materials. Median concentrations increased by 1.5 times for lead, 3.6 times for antimony, 2.5 times for copper, and 2.6 times for zinc. While the regional increase is generally moderate, some locations emerged as clear contamination hotspots, with concentrations far above both historical values and international reference levels.
The most striking case was found in Houla, in the Marjaayoun District, one of the most devastated villages visited during the campaign. There, antimony was measured at around 500 times the 2001 median, and lead exceeded the German precautionary value.
The assessment also highlights the social and economic consequences of the conflict on farming communities. 75% of consulted farmers were displaced following the 2023 Israeli attack on Southern Lebanon; 46% reported being directly affected by military activities; and, among those directly affected, 96% reported having been hit by at least one airstrike.
At the time of data collection, 34% of farmers reported being unwilling or unable to cultivate their land, rising to 46% in Marjaayoun and 51% among directly affected farmers. The impact on agricultural livelihoods was also visible in livestock ownership, with a 49% decrease in the number of livestock owners among affected farmers.
Environmental damage was widely reported by local farmers. In Marjaayoun, 39% of farmers reported fires on their land as a consequence of military activities, while 88% of directly affected farmers reported that their olive trees had been damaged or destroyed. One in four directly affected farmers reported that vegetation had not recovered after being burned.
Despite these impacts, access to environmental and safety assessments remains limited. 95% of farmers reported not having received any soil assessment, and 81% reported not having received an unexploded ordnance assessment.
Overall, the report and factsheet show that the consequences of war are not only visible in destroyed buildings, burned fields, and damaged livelihoods. They can also persist in the soil, through toxic metals released by military activity.
These findings highlight the need for continued soil monitoring, targeted investigations at contamination hotspots, accessible information for local communities, and the integration of environmental assessments into post-conflict recovery and reconstruction planning.
