The team mobilized by the winning consultancy will be responsible for conducting a critical analysis of available technical documentation, assessing the progress of works on site, and producing a reasoned, independent assessment regarding the advisability of resuming and completing these projects, while comparing potential alternatives. They will define the objectives and implementation conditions for these alternatives and produce a feasibility study for a recommended alternative, as well as a roadmap outlining the remaining studies, analyses, and works required for that recommended alternative.
The project is part of a Technical Assistance Programme in Support of Water and Sanitation Sector Reforms in Lebanon that is being led by the AFD and fully funded by the EU, and implemented under a technical assistance programme, by a consortium of Hydroconseil, BTD, Hydrophil and Valu Add.
The Balaa and Boqaata dams were among five water storage structures included in an initial national infrastructure programme to address Lebanon’s chronic water crisis. Following the 2019 financial collapse and the ensuing economic crisis, construction of the Lake Balaa and Boqaata dams, as well as the Janneh and Mseilha dams was suspended because of a lack of funding. These construction sites, at varying stages of progress, were abandoned, leaving the partially built structures exposed to the elements and deterioration. The Minister of Energy and Water reaffirmed during sectoral dialogue with donors that it sought to assess the requirements to complete these projects. Construction of Balaa Lake, within the karstic limestone massif of Mount Lebanon, began around 2014 and continued until 2019-2020. The rockfill structure is designed to impound a reservoir with storage capacity of about 1.3 x 106 m³, which is intended to supply drinking water. The site is characterized by karst geology with the presence of numerous sinkholes, some of which absorbed significant volumes of grout during foundation work.
Construction of the Boqaata dam, an RCC dam with an estimated height of between 65 and 72 m, which is designed to impound a reservoir with a static capacity of around 6 x 106 m³ and an announced dynamic capacity of 12 x 106 m³/year, began in 2015. Located between the localities of Boqaata and Kfartaï on the Boqaata river, it is intended to supply the Metn region (specifically 43 villages situated between el, 300 m and 900 m) via the Bhannes reservoirs (managed by the Beirut-Mont Liban Water Establishment, EEBML). This operation is structurally complementary to the diversion of the Nabeh Jouaizat spring, which is a key factor to consider in any assessment of the project. The completion of RCC pouring is documented as having occurred in late 2016, while waterproofing work (using a bituminous geomembrane) was underway in 2019 when the site was shut down. While the main structure is largely complete, commissioning would still require completion of reservoir waterproofing; a 35 000 m³/day treatment plant; transfer pipelines; and the Ain Aalaq–Bhannes pumping station).
Given the technical and economic uncertainty surrounding these two projects, and the need to objectively assess the conditions for a potential resumption, the MEE requested that the AFD conduct an independent evaluation of the Balaa Lake and Boqaata Dam projects. This assignment aims to produce a rigorous technical assessment of the current situation, an economic evaluation of the viable alternatives, and a reasoned recommendation on the best course of action for each facility.
The assignment aims to:
(i) Evaluate the quality of documentation produced to date (studies, plans, supervision reports, tests, EIAs), much of which is already available; some documentation may need to be collected on-site;
(ii) Trace the history of the projects and quantify the budget invested to date;
(iii) Assess the structural condition, geotechnical stability, and safety of the structures (dam body, spillway, intake structures, and ancillary works) for each dam, notably through site visits;
(iv) Evaluate the quality of all work carried out to date, identify deviations from national and international standards, and estimate the work required to achieve compliance;
(v) Based on these diagnostic findings, define the objectives and conditions for various project completion alternatives (resumption, completion, and commissioning, potentially involving reorientation or resizing, versus safe abandonment) and assess the technical and economic feasibility of a recommended alternative,; and,
(vi) Develop a roadmap outlining the studies, analyses, and works specific to each alternative.
The assessment will be conducted in strict adherence to applicable Lebanese regulations—particularly regarding environmental and social impact analysis—and reference to international dam safety and engineering standards primarily ICOLD (International Commission on Large Dams) and environmental and social safeguards: IFC Performance Standards (PS1 to PS8), World Bank E&S Framework (including ESS4, Annex 1 “Safety of Dams,” and Good Practice Note on Dam Safety), EHS Guidelines, water quality, construction waste management.
The contract is divided into three phases with an expected timeframe of 16 weeks from contract award. The administrative language of the contract is French. The working language and the language for technical deliverables is English. Bidders must ensure that its entire team possesses proficiency in English. The technical scope of each phase is detailed in the Terms of Reference, which along with the relevant bid documents can be viewed via a link to the French state procurement platform, PLACE, on the website of the AFD at: https://afd.dgmarket.com/tenders/np-notice.do?noticeId=112250805.
Electronic submission of bid documents in French may only be carried out via the online procurement platform: https://www.marches-publics.gouv.fr/. To obtain any further information regarding this tender EAA-2026-0295, candidates must submit their requests exclusively via the online procurement platform.
