Byblos - 100 Resilient Cities

Byblos’ Resilience Journey

The city of Byblos released its Resilience Strategy on April 9, 2016. Explore the strategy here.

Byblos’ Resilience Story

Renowned for being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, Byblos has withstood various environmental and security shocks over the past 8,000 years. But the city remains a role model of coexistence, with people of different religions living together peacefully. Much of Byblos struggles with floods, storms, and rapid urbanization, and protecting Byblos’ world heritage sites from these threats is a challenge. Moving forward, this city is looking to leverage its rich culture, engaged leadership, and strong social cohesion to fortify its resilience to shocks and stresses.

SHOCKS AND STRESSES

Hurricane / Typhoon / Cyclone
Inadequate Public Transportation Systems
Shifting Macroeconomic Trends
Tsunami

Meet The Chief Resilience Officer

Tony Sfeir is the newly appointed Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) for the City of Byblos. Mr. Sfeir brings a wealth of experience and local expertise to the position. He has been an elected member of the municipality corps since 2010. There he joined the Committee of Tourism and Culture, as well as the Committee of Environment. He was also appointed as the coordinator between the city and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction-Disaster Risk Recovery (UNISDR-DRR) program. Mr. Sfeir represents the Municipality of Byblos in the “Crisis Committee,” which has recently performed successful response exercises for tsunami and earthquake simulations.

Mr. Sfeir was a longtime member of Byblos Ecologia, an environmental NGO that successfully fought to preserve Byblos’ heritage. After a long political struggle, a small group of persons including Tony was able to mobilize the citizens of Byblos to lobby against a decree that would have replaced the city’s historic last sandy beach with a marina. Their efforts protected this important heritage site.

Prior to settling in Byblos in 1993, Mr. Sfeir spent several years working in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. His multilingual ability and cosmopolitan experience have enriched his knowledge of various cultures and nationalities. He lives in Byblos with his wife and son.