The 1964 Beirut Water Crisis That Never Rained

In the summer of 1964, Beirut's taps ran dry. The city's modern water system, built just decades earlier with British and French capital, collapsed under the weight of a brutal drought and a population boom. This episode tells the story of that crisis: the aging Kedem waterworks, the political infighting in the Chamber of Deputies, and the desperate decisions that led to water rationing and army-run convoys. We meet Prime Minister Hussein al-Oweini, who faced an angry public and a divided cabinet, and we uncover how the crisis laid bare Lebanon's fragile infrastructure—and its resilience. From the Litani River plans that never materialized to the quiet heroism of municipal engineers, this is a story about a city that learned to survive, one drop at a time. Lucas and Luna also pause to reflect on how listener support keeps these stories alive—just a couple of dollars a month can make all the difference.

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