Water Security in Lebanon: From Crisis to Opportunity
Part of the Mounir Khatib Endowed Lecture Series

Irwin Hall, Beirut campus

The School of Engineering is pleased to announce the launch of the upcoming major event, Water Security in Lebanon: From Crisis to Opportunity, part of the Mounir Khatib Endowed Engineering Lecture Series.

Keynote Speakers and Panelists Biographies

Dr. Youssef El Karam

Dr. Youssef El Karam is a civil engineer who earned his degree from the École Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Beyrouth (ESIB) in 1984, followed by a PhD. in Water Management from the University of Montpellier, France, in 1989. He began his professional career at the French consultancy firm Prolog Ingénierie, where he worked from 1989 to 1996. In 1997, he joined the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) as Head of the Infrastructure Department and has since risen to the position of Vice President.

Dr. Ramy Saliba

Dr. Ramy Saliba has developed expertise in water resources and sustainable development through both academic research and professional practice. He earned his PhD in Environment, Resources and Sustainable Development from the University of Parthenope, Italy, following a Master’s degree in Water Resources Management from CIHEAM-IAMB, Italy, and an Engineering degree in Agriculture from the Lebanese University.

With a research background at the Water Research Institute of the National Council of Research in Italy and as a water resources management consultant, Dr. Saliba joined Agence Française de Développement in 2018. He currently heads the Infrastructure and Local Development Unit in Beirut, leading the EU-AFD Water Reform Programme, and applying his experience in institutional governance and international cooperation in the supervision of water and wastewater infrastructure development initiatives and governance improvement, in partnership with the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Regional Water Establishments.

Suzy Hoayek

Following her graduation as a civil engineer from the Lebanese American University, Suzy Hoayek had the opportunity to lead mega projects in several countries, including Angola and Saudi Arabia, while working with Dar el Handasah (Shair & Partners) in Beirut as a team leader and project engineer in the Resources & Environment department, which allowed her to expand her technical knowledge and expertise in water and wastewater.

In 2014, Hoayek graduated with honors from AgroParisTech, a prestigious university in Paris internationally recognized as a Grande École, where she earned an International Master’s degree in the Management and Treatment of Water, Wastewater, Soil, and Solid Waste.

Since 2016, she has served as Advisor to successive Ministers of Energy and Water for the Water sector. In this role, she manages and coordinates the update of the National Water Sector Strategy and its implementation. She is the focal point for international donors, consultants, and NGOs working in the water sector and maintains close contact with various governmental institutions, including the regional Water Establishments and relevant ministries. She was also appointed as the representative of the Minister at the Parliamentary Commission dedicated to the review of the Water Code. In addition to these responsibilities, Suzy handles several other initiatives aimed at serving citizens and facilitating their interaction with the Ministry.

A pioneer in Lebanon’s water sector, Hoayek strives every day to make water more accessible to every citizen and a source of wealth for the Lebanese government.

Mahmoud Wazne 

Mahmoud Wazne is a Professor of Environmental Engineering at the Lebanese American University. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Columbia University (New York), and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, New Jersey).

His research focuses on sustainable environmental engineering practices, including anaerobic digestion and energy recovery, waste valorization, stabilization of contaminated sediments, development of engineered nanomaterials for contaminant removal in aquatic systems, and the fate and transport of heavy metals in soils and groundwater.

Recent projects include the development of green biosorbents for nutrient recovery from anaerobic digestates; the beneficial reuse of industrial byproducts for heavy metal immobilization and stabilization of dredged sediments; the use of plant-based soil washing solutions for heavy metal abatement; and the anaerobic treatment of high-strength industrial wastewater with biogas recovery.

Dr. Nadim Farajalla 

Dr. Nadim Farajalla is the Chief Sustainability Officer at the Lebanese American University (LAU), a role he assumed in March 2024. He leads the development and implementation of LAU’s sustainability strategy, promoting a culture of environmental and social responsibility across the institution.

Previously, he was the founding director of the Climate Change and Environment Program at the Issam Fares Institute, American University of Beirut (AUB), where his research addressed climate change impacts on urban areas and the water–energy–food nexus with emphasis on adaptation and resilience.

In the private sector, Dr. Farajalla worked as Senior Scientist at Stone Environmental in Vermont, USA, and later as Senior Environmental Engineer at Dar al-Handasah in Beirut, focusing on water resources management, environmental impact studies, and infrastructure design.

He holds a BS in Agricultural Sciences from AUB, an MS in Irrigation Engineering from Utah State University, and both an MS and PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

His publications highlight water scarcity, climate adaptation, and sustainability in the MENA region.