The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Balamand organized the closing ceremony of the SWaTH Project for sustainable wastewater treatment in hospitals on July 9, 2024, at the university's Koura campus. The ceremony was attended by His Excellency the Minister of Public Health Dr. Firas Abiad, General Director of the Ministry of Energy and Water Mr. Khaled Obeid representing His Excellency Minister Dr. Walid Fayyad, Deputy Dr. Fadi Karam, Deputy Mr. George Atallah, President of the University of Balamand Dr. Elias Warrak, Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Professor Rami Abboud, Coordinator of the Erasmus+ Office in Lebanon Dr. Aref AlSoufi, Representatives from Municipalities and Hospitals, and a significant number of deans, vice presidents, professors, administrators, and students from the University of Balamand and partner universities in the project.
The SWaTH Project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Commission and managed by the University of Balamand through Dr. Makram El Bachawati, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and SWaTH Project Coordinator, began in 2020. It has worked closely to develop and implement sustainable solutions for the treatment of hospital wastewater, protect the environment, and raise awareness regarding sustainable wastewater treatment.
In his speech, the Minister of Public Health addressed the healthcare section’s reality in Lebanon, declaring: "The healthcare sector in Lebanon suffers from many problems. Today, at the University of Balamand, we are working to find solutions to the challenges facing this sector". He added: "The Ministry of Health will work carefully to find solutions to the problems of wastewater by benefiting from this precise study completed by the SWaTH Project".
In his speech, Dr. Warrak emphasized the importance of the healthcare sector and the necessity of improving it, saying: "Hospitals are critical to public health, but they do generate wastewater containing hazardous substances, including pharmaceuticals, pathogens, and various chemicals. Proper treatment of this wastewater is essential to prevent environmental contamination and safeguard public health". He added: "Through the SWaTH Project, we have taken a significant step towards achieving this goal”.
Dr. El Bachawati highlighted the details and objectives of the project, emphasizing the study's results and clarifying the recommendations that work precisely to solve the challenges facing hospital wastewater in Lebanon.
At the end of the ceremony, the SWaTH team and the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Balamand presented a token of appreciation to the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Rami Abboud, in recognition of his significant and ongoing support for the SWaTH Project and his continuous commitment to applying sustainability standards in all fields.
