The RELIEF Centre is developing co-designed Prosperity Indices for different neighborhoods in Lebanon. Following the Prosperity Index (PI) research in Hamra, Beirut, the RELIEF Prosperity Team has now moved to the North of Lebanon to launch a new Prosperity Index for the city of Al Mina, Tripoli. In collaboration with charity CatalyticAction, this city has been chosen for its residents’ diversity, many of whom are part of vulnerable groups.
After multiple remote meetings and workshops between the team and citizen scientists during the lockdown months (March to June), a first in-person workshop was held on Saturday, July 11th.
In the workshop, our Al-Mina Citizen Scientists trained on the methods and practice of Building and Infrastructure field surveys - a key part of the Prosperity Index work in Lebanon. They also received safety and ethics training.
This part of the fieldwork will contribute to evaluating key infrastructural conditions in Mina including conditions of buildings and roads and access to water and electricity. The evaluation of the latter is especially urgent given Lebanon's worsening energy crisis where many residents only have a few hours of electricity a day.
Citizen Scientists are also currently carrying out key informant interviews with relevant non-governmental, religious and educational stakeholders in Mina.