FALL/WINTER 2021
13
It’s a Chain Effect!: Zeina Hawa’s Campaign for
Sustainable Mobility in Beirut
ATTENTION DRIVERS OF LEBANON! Do you feel like your life is controlled by your car? Are you tired of waking up at the break of dawn for an hour-long drive to work that should only take you 20 minutes? Are you at your wits end with the 4-hour-long wait at the petrol station? Do you wonder what it would be like not to fear for your life when crossing the street? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions – we may just have the solution for you! Just dial 1-800 to learn more and get your free sample today!
In all seriousness, Zeina Hawa ‘10 and her friends at The Chain Effect, the organization she co-founded in 2014, present a very convincing solution to all of your, and of Lebanon’s, car-related woes. Commuting in Beirut is a notoriously unpleasant experience. Lebanon has one of the highest rates of registered vehicles in the world relative to population, which, coupled with poor infrastructure, renders traffic congestion a core aspect of Lebanese daily life. The average Lebanese spends an estimated 720 hours a year on the road, more than 16% of an individual’s supposed “productive time.”
Traffic is just one of the many issues related to the excess of private transport and chaos of commuting in Beirut. Road rules and regulations are rarely enforced, leading to dangerous driving conditions and a high number of car-related accidents. Furthermore, the high volume of vehicles on the road is one of the main contributors to the country’s carbon emissions and air pollution. Car dependence and traffic have a significant impact on Lebanon’s economy. In 2017, traffic-related costs were estimated at $2 billion/year – nearly 4% of the country’s GDP. This number will likely increase in the future, due to costs related to population growth, car accidents and other related health issues, vehicle operation, and the longterm effects of carbon emissions and climate change.
