Enabling Climate-Smart Wastewater Infrastructure in Developing Countries: Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Policy Integration at the Al Ghadir Wastewater Treatment Plant

This study evaluates the emissions reduction potential of methane recovery from the expansion of Al Ghadir wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Lebanon and examines the policy framework needed to enable its implementation. The study estimates greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and methane recovery using IPCC guidelines, quantifies biogas energy offsets, and evaluates Lebanon’s wastewater and renewable energy policies through regulatory and socio-economic analysis. Phase-specific GHG calculations show that the WWTP could avoid an estimated 104,989, 62,993, and 125,986 tons of CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf>-eq emissions in phases 1, 2, and 3 of the expansion respectively. Yet policy gaps, such as lack of renewable energy (RE) recognition for biogas, weak institutional coordination, and limited financial incentives, delay deployment. Drawing on global best practices, the paper outlines a roadmap for Lebanon to integrate biogas into its climate and energy strategy while aligning wastewater infrastructure with circular economy and energy resilience goals.