Rapid urbanization, closure of dumps, and insufficient infrastructure funding in Lebanon have resulted in improper municipal solid waste management (MSWM), creating a continuing trash crisis in recent years. In Beirut and Mount Lebanon, MSWM was carried out in centralized waste processing and disposal facilities operated by the government. The trash crisis and failure of the centralized system prompted several municipal authorities to decentralize MSWM by establishing local facilities, paid by the council taxes charged to beneficiary households. To study the feasibility of decentralized MSWM, a survey of 228 households in a rural village in Lebanon explored households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a local MSWM service. For data analysis, a multivariate Tobit model was used to examine the determinants of the WTP amount. Results showed that 79% of surveyed households in the studied village were willing to support local MSWM improvements by contributing an average yearly fee of US$48, representing a 30% increase in their current council taxes. Analysis showed a significant positive association between the WTP amount and the household monthly income level, the residents perceived needs for urgency to act on solid waste management, and the households’ responsibility to be involved in MSWM. An interview with the municipality mayor later revealed that financial, technical, and land resources are lacking to enable consideration of a decentralized project for MSWM in the village. Municipalities in rural areas have limited resources and are unable to sustain a decentralized MSWM service unless adjacent towns join effort in supporting and financing MSWM initiatives.

中文翻译：

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黎巴嫩农村固体废物管理服务的权力下放：障碍和机遇

黎巴嫩的快速城市化、垃圾场关闭和基础设施资金不足导致城市固体废物管理 (MSWM) 不当，造成近年来持续的垃圾危机。在贝鲁特和黎巴嫩山，MSWM 是在政府运营的集中废物处理和处置设施中进行的。垃圾危机和中央系统的失败促使一些市政当局通过建立地方设施来分散 MSWM，由向受益家庭收取的市政税支付。为了研究分散式 MSWM 的可行性，对黎巴嫩一个农村的 228 户家庭进行了调查，探讨了家庭对当地 MSWM 服务的支付意愿 (WTP)。对于数据分析，使用多变量 Tobit 模型来检查支付意愿金额的决定因素。结果显示，所研究村庄中 79% 的被调查家庭愿意通过每年缴纳 48 美元的平均费用来支持当地 MSWM 的改善，这意味着他们目前的市政税增加了 30%。分析表明，支付意愿金额与家庭月收入水平、居民感知的对固体废物管理采取行动的紧迫性以及家庭参与 MSWM 的责任之间存在显着的正相关关系。后来对市长的采访透露，由于缺乏资金、技术和土地资源，因此无法考虑在该村开展 MSWM 分散项目。农村地区的市政当局资源有限，无法维持分散的 MSWM 服务，除非相邻城镇共同努力支持和资助 MSWM 计划。