But, a lot of the construction industry is dependent on an ever expanding man-made forest of new buildings and roads sprawling across the countryside. It seems whenever someone earns some money, the first reaction is to invest it in a new building. Construction is a poor base for an economy. It provides temporary, low-paying employment for construction workers, most of whom are not Lebanese anyway. The land that the building sits on will never be productive again, especially if that land once produced trees, fruits, grain, pasturage, or some other renewable commodity.
Construction is also as addictive as a drug.
Several square kilometers of Lebanon are permanently lost under concrete every year. This has to stop somewhere. While people have to have shelter over their heads, it may be time to rethink other, less important, projects. A small country with a growing population like Lebanon unfortunately can no longer afford to have thousands of second homes and chalets that are used infrequently. For example, a family living in Beirut that also owns a new summer apartment in Faitroun may be contributing to the destruction of the famed rocks of Keserwan.