Abstract
<jats:p>Lebanon, once celebrated as the “Switzerland of the Middle East” and a beacon of financial prosperity and cultural vibrancy, now finds itself engulfed in an unparalleled crisis, a victim of both internal fragility and external turbulence. The nation’s descent into economic collapse was accelerated by decades of political corruption, mismanagement, and overreliance on foreign remittances, rendering it particularly vulnerable to global shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated an already crumbling economy, leading to mass unemployment, a collapsing currency, and one of the worst financial meltdowns in modern history. As Lebanon struggled to recover, the spillover from regional conflicts—most notably the Syrian civil war and ongoing tensions with Israel—further destabilized the country, leading to an unprecedented refugee influx that overwhelmed infrastructure and fueled social unrest. The Beirut Port explosion of 2020 served as a tragic metaphor for the state’s dysfunction, exposing systemic negligence and accelerating the country’s downward spiral. The Ukraine war disrupted global food supply chains, driving inflation to catastrophic levels and deepening Lebanon’s dependence on imports, while climate change threatens to reshape the country’s future by exacerbating water scarcity, agricultural decline, and economic stagnation. Forecasts predict a 14% GDP contraction by 2040 due to climate-related disruptions alone. What was once a thriving, cosmopolitan center of the Arab world now faces an existential crisis, marked by hunger, power shortages, and financial ruin. Lebanon stands at a crossroads, with its survival hinging on urgent reforms, international aid, and a reinvention of its political and economic structures. Whether it can reclaim its former stature or descend further into instability remains one of the most defining questions of its modern history.</jats:p>