BEIRUT, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Standing atop the concrete wall of the Qaraoun Dam in eastern Lebanon, 62-year-old fisherman Jamal Ammar gazed over cracked earth and a dusty expanse where shimmering waters once stretched, his eyes clouded with uncertainty about where his future lies.
For more than 25 years, Ammar has been fishing in these waters to support his family. "The once beautiful lake we used to be proud of has completely changed," he said. "What was once a vital source of income and a popular spot for visitors has now shrunk into something more like a small pond after this unprecedented drop in water levels."
A severe drought caused by disrupted rainfall and record-breaking summer temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius have shrunk Lake Qaraoun, Lebanon's biggest water reservoir on the Litani River, to a shadow of its former size, jeopardizing agriculture, electricity supply, and the livelihoods of people throughout the Bekaa Valley.
Even for locals, this rare drought scene feels astonishing: where the shoreline once bustled with tourists, picnickers, anglers, and fishing boats, now only desolate land is left. Fish float lifeless on the surface, and ducks and geese have vanished, searching for new habitats elsewhere.
As the waterline receded, some long-forgotten relics reappeared, one of which was a multi-story building that had been submerged for more than 50 years. Built in 1959, it once functioned as an observation post for the migratory and resident birds that gathered around the lake.
Walking along the dam's edge, Ali Alawieh, an official at the Litani River Authority, said this year's rainfall brought only 40 to 45 million cubic meters of water -- barely an eighth of the annual average of 350 million.
"The lake now holds just 57 million cubic meters of water," he said, glancing at the receding shoreline. The rapidly decreasing river flow has already forced hydropower plants supplied by Lake Qaraoun to shut down, resulting in power outages in dozens of towns in western Bekaa and Jezzine.
The volume of the lake could drop even further before the rainy season begins in four months, he said, as the Litani River and its feeder springs have dried up under relentless summer heat.
The drought threatens not only food and water security but also the fragile ecological balance of the Bekaa Valley. If the drought persists, "we risk a complete ecological collapse in the basin," warned Alawieh.
Environmental experts have emphasized that swift action is essential to tackle the impending water shortage: prioritizing water for vital needs, tapping into alternative sources, implementing water rationing for agriculture, stopping waste from being dumped into the Litani River, tightening environmental regulations, and engaging local governments and communities in managing water resources.
However, for Ammar, the fisherman who has dedicated his life to the lake, these measures cannot bring about immediate change. "It's not just the lake drying up," he said. "For me, it's an entire way of life vanishing." ■
