News · 25 May 2026
South Lebanon’s soils still bear the scars of war
The first monitoring campaign results from the Turabna – Janoub project have been published. The data show a significant increase in heavy metals linked to weapons use in the Nabatiyeh and Marjaayoun districts.
8,500+
attacks recorded in the Nabatiyeh Governorate since October 2023
500×
the antimony concentration in Houla compared to 2001 levels
40
soil samples collected and analysed in the laboratory
75%
of farmers lost their livelihoods
When the war ends, the consequences do not stop. What remains in the soil, in the fields where farmers try to return to work and in the land that must once again feed families, is invisible but lasts for decades.
This awareness, and the concrete concerns of farmers and communities in South Lebanon, was the starting point for the monitoring campaign carried out in August 2025 by Amel Italia, Source International, and Amel Association International in the Nabatiyeh and Marjaayoun districts.
The results, now published in the report Legacy of conflict in South Lebanon’s soils, provide the first independent scientific baseline on soil quality in the areas most affected by the conflict that began in October 2023.
What we found
Compared to historical samples from 2001, median concentrations of four heavy metals have increased significantly.
×1.5
Lead
Regional median increase. At some sites the ratio rises to ×4.0. Lead is among the most serious concerns: toxic and slow to break down, it can persist in soil for decades.
×3.6
Antimony
Regional median increase. In Houla, one of the most devastated villages visited during the campaign, the value was approximately 500 times higher than the 2001 median.
×2.5
Copper
Regional median increase. At directly comparable sites between 2001 and 2025, the average ratio rises to ×4.4. Present in shell casings and ordnance fragments.
×2.6
Zinc
Regional median increase. At directly comparable sites, the average ratio is ×5.3. Arsenic and cadmium are also elevated compared to 2001 and require attention.
Lead, antimony, copper and zinc are all recognised in scientific literature as typical fingerprints of military activity, found in bullets, shell casings, ordnance fragments and other war debris.
From the field
“What we saw in the villages of South Lebanon is the indiscriminate violence that characterises Israeli settler colonialism. Entire villages destroyed, farmland devastated, trees uprooted and infrastructure sabotaged. The systematic destruction of the ecosystem causes less visible long-term damage: in an area already severely affected by climate change, soil contamination is another factor putting the food security and food sovereignty of an entire population at risk.”
Roberto Renino
President of Amel Italia, project coordinator
What happens next
These data are a first baseline, not a definitive answer. The report recommends continuing monitoring, deepening analysis at the highest-concentration sites, and integrating environmental assessments into post-conflict reconstruction processes.
Alongside the chemical analyses, we conducted 122 interviews and 3 focus groups to understand the real conditions of farmers and the damage to their productive activities. 75% of them lost their livelihoods for years to come.
The Turabna – Janoub project will continue. The next step will be the final report, which will integrate scientific data with testimonies gathered in the field to produce concrete recommendations for the authorities and organisations involved in reconstruction.
The project in numbers
- Soil samples 40
- Farmer interviews 122
- Focus groups 3
- Monitored districts 2
- Project partners 3
Download materials
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The monitoring doesn’t stop here
The data collected is just the first step. Continuing the monitoring, deepening the analysis, and returning this information to communities in South Lebanon requires resources. Your contribution makes this work possible.