Solid Waste Management Junior Specialist
Legal Right to Work Required
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Role Summary
Join the UN Development Programme as a Solid Waste Management Junior Specialist in Lebanon for a 2-month consultancy role focusing on municipal waste challenges.
About the Organisation
Aabbassiyeh is a village in the Tyre District of South Lebanon, located about 10 km northeast of Tyre and 84 km from Beirut, at an elevation of 150 meters above sea level. It is bordered by Tura and Deir Qanoun Al-Nahr to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Al-Burghaliya and Burj Rahal to the north, and Tyre, Burj Al-Shamali, and Tairdaba to the south. The municipality, which is part of the Union of Tyre Municipalities, consists of 15 elected members.
Aabbassiyeh hosts approximately 800 displaced Lebanese households, about 10,000 refugee households (Syrian and Palestinian), and nearly 1,500 commercial establishments. This significant population pressure has increased demand on municipal services, especially solid waste management.
This situation is compounded by the demographic pressures of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Syrian refugees, and Palestinian refugees, which have led to higher waste generation and strained municipal resources. Consultations with the local community and municipal representatives, including a meeting with the old council in May 2025, indicated that waste generation in Aabbassiyeh now averages 30 tons per day in winter and 40 tons per day in summer, with a composition of approximately 55% recyclable, 25% organic, and 20% non-recyclable materials.
As a result, large amounts of recyclable waste continue to be mixed with organic and rejected waste, ending up in landfills or being improperly disposed of. This, in turn, leads to environmental pollution, higher municipal costs, public health risks, and lost economic opportunities from recycling.
In response to these mounting challenges, the municipality constructed a sorting facility in 2019 on municipally owned land (12 m × 8 m). The objective of this facility was to process waste sorted at source. The facility is equipped with an 8-meter horizontal conveyor (non-magnetic pulley), a hydraulic baling press, and a 60 KVA diesel generator. Waste collection is carried out by three tipper trucks for sorted waste, two of which require maintenance, and two compactor trucks for unsorted waste. Around 50% of residents actively participate in waste sorting at source. The land is officially owned by the municipality, ensuring the legal framework for the facility’s operation.
A recent site visit to the Aabbassiyeh Sorting Facility revealed that the structural condition of the existing hangar is deteriorated and does not meet basic safety or code requirements. The facility’s steel structure shows significant corrosion and irregular modifications that compromise its stability. The municipality is currently preparing to initiate the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in line with national environmental regulations.
Despite this foundation, several challenges limit the efficiency of the current system:
Consultations with the local community and municipal representatives—the former council in May 2025 and the new council in July–August 2025—confirmed the municipality’s urgent need for upgraded equipment, such as trucks, bins, and recycling machinery. They also identified the need to establish five waste sorting stations across Aabbassiyeh and neighboring areas and to conduct awareness campaigns, worker training, and specialist support to improve collection and recycling practices.
However, the 2026 conflict significantly disrupted the municipality’s planned improvements to the solid waste management (SWM) sector. During the conflict, municipal efforts were redirected towards responding to the urgent needs of IDPs, while insecurity and restricted access to the area prevented the implementation of the planned sorting facility upgrades and other SWM activities. At the same time, the influx of IDPs resulted in a substantial increase in waste generation, placing additional pressure on the municipality’s already overstretched waste management system and further constraining its capacity to deliver effective services.
In this context, UNDP aims to support the SWM sector in Aabbassiyeh by upscaling the Aabbassiyeh Sorting Facility, improving waste collection and recycling systems, and developing a comprehensive SWM plan covering the short, medium, and long term.
Under the same framework, UNDP is seeking the services of a qualified Consultant to develop a comprehensive SWM plan; conduct a desk review to identify existing municipal capacities and resources related to SWM; assess the current operations of the Aabbassiyeh Sorting Facility; validate medium- and long-term equipment needs; and co-design a sustainable business model and solid waste management plan with the municipality. The plan will be structured around:
The consultancy will also provide capacity-building support to municipal staff and facility workers to strengthen technical and operational aspects and ensure sustainable operations. This phase will establish the foundation for subsequent technical assistance, capacity-building, and equipment provision activities, ensuring that the project is implemented on a solid, evidence-based, and sustainable footing.
- The facility is partially used as a vehicle maintenance center, creating operational disorganization.
- Key equipment, including the baler and conveyor belt, is damaged, reducing processing capacity.
- Around 15 workers lack technical training in recycling, facility management, and safety standards.
- Sorting at source remains limited to about half of the population.
- No dedicated awareness campaign exists to promote waste sorting.
- Short-term priorities: addressing operational issues and critical gaps, such as capacity-building and staffing.
- Medium-term priorities: enhancing capacity and operational efficiency.
- Long-term priorities: advancing recycling and revenue generation in close coordination with the UNDP technical team and the South engineers.
Minimum Requirements
consultancy field.
- Education: Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Environmental sciences, Engineering (Environmental, Civil, Mechanical etc…), Health Management, Social Sciences, or similar.
- Experience: Minimum of Five (5) years of professional experience in solid waste management
- Language: Fluency in English and Arabic (both oral and written).
Eligibility Criteria
This position is restricted to candidates with legal work authorization in Lebanon as it is a national consultancy.
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