Unraveling Stakeholder Engagement in Megaprojects: A Political Opportunity Structure Perspective in Turbulent Times

Infrastructure projects are often tied to political agendas, leading to community skepticism and opposition. This study explores how changes in the political system influenced engagement between project opposers and project promoters. Using a qualitative research approach and a case study strategy, archival data related to the prematurely terminated Bisri Dam megaproject in Lebanon were collected and analyzed. Results show that deepened division among political parties (configuration of power) and a wider distribution of power among project opposers (formal institutional structure) intensified opposition, leading to project cancellation. This study highlights the importance of considering a broad political perspective in project stakeholder engagement to improve megaproject outcomes from a socially sustainable standpoint.