Many of the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon were originally established as tented encampments during the period 1948-1955. Half a century later, with high population densities and limited vehicular access, they remain largely separate from adjacent Lebanese communities, with infrastructure and welfare services mainly provided by the United Nations. Water supply, sewerage and stormwater-drainage systems have been developed on a piecemeal basis, are frequently in poor condition, and are inadequate to cops with expanding populations. A project for the design of new systems was commissioned to serve a total population of about 250 000 by the year 2020. The new facilities have had to take account of complex networks of narrow pedestrian alleyways that characterise many of the camps. This paper provides an insight into (a) working within established refugee camps and other economically poor and densely populated communities, and (b) the problems which were experienced in developing feasible solutions for the improvement of infrastructure. © 2003 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Refugee camps Water supply Design Drainage Infrastructure Lebanon

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