LEWIS: Lebanon Water Intelligence System Leveraging AI and Free Satellite Data to Monitor Lebanon’s Critical Water Challenges

Lebanon is one of the most water-rich countries in the Middle East, with abundant surface water, groundwater resources, and seasonal snow that feeds rivers and aquifers. However, effective management of these resources remains challenging due to fragmented monitoring systems, limited field observations, and the absence of integrated tools that provide timely and comprehensive information for decision making.

The Lebanon Water Intelligence System (LEWIS) is a multidisciplinary research initiative that aims to support the Ministry of Energy and Water by leveraging artificial intelligence, Earth observation, and freely available satellite imagery to improve the monitoring of Lebanon’s water resources. Given the limited information about existing monitoring systems, LEWIS is conceived as a standalone platform that delivers comprehensive, independent insights by transforming satellite and ministry-provided data into actionable information that can assist water managers, researchers, and policy makers.

The project focuses on three key aspects of Lebanon’s water system: monitoring seasonal snow cover as an indicator of future freshwater availability, tracking surface water dynamics following major rainfall events, and identifying potential unregistered groundwater wells by comparing satellite observations with existing national records. Together, these components contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the country’s water resources and support evidence-based water management.

Developed as a VIP+ initiative at the Lebanese American University, LEWIS provides undergraduate students with hands-on experience in artificial intelligence, remote sensing, computer vision, and geospatial data analysis while addressing real-world challenges in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Water. The project will deliver research prototypes that can serve as the foundation for future operational water intelligence systems in Lebanon.

Desired disciplines

Engineering, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, and related STEM disciplines.

Team Leader

Other Faculty Involved

Dr. Pierrette Zouein and Dr. Dima Fares El Khalil

Partner

The Ministry of Energy and Water