Earth Link and Advanced Resources Development (ELARD) is a leading consulting firm specialized in environmental management and Engineering. Established in 1996 in Beirut, Lebanon, ELARD has rapidly expanded with currently permanent offices in Beirut, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar and Uganda). It employs professionals in the fields of applied earth and environmental management and engineering, waste management, air quality assessment, water and waste water Engineering, coastal zone management, water and environmental policy development, community services and institutional strengthening. The company has worked in more than 25 countries.

At ELARD, we pride ourselves on our customer oriented approach and core company values. The foundations of our success are: 1) our expertise to meet our clients’ needs through a team of dedicated professionals with extensive experience and distinguished qualifications; 2) our commitment to give priority to our clients’ satisfaction, needs, organizational goals and resources; and 3) our vision for a better tomorrow inspiring us to devote all our efforts to the success of a project.

ELARD has three main Divisions: 1) Environment and Sustainable Development; 2) Geosciences, and 3) Engineering Divisions. Quality Assurance and Quality Control is an integrated part of ELARD’s Standard practice. ELARD’s ISO – 9001 certification, dates back to 2009.

The key features of ELARD can be summarized as follows:

• • ELARD has in house experts and a strong network of professionals in a wide variety of disciplines that could cover all aspects of professional qualifications that would be required for this project;
• • ELARD has previously worked for international Financing agencies such as the World Bank or on projects funded by these agencies and is familiar with international policies, guidelines and procurement requirements;
• • ELARD has backstopping personnel that would work supplementary to the main experts, contributing towards the successful completion of this project;
• • ELARD has excellent communication skills and the ability to develop good working relations at all levels; and
• • ELARD has proven capacity for managing large projects and projects from private and public sector clients, as well as from Banks and International Organizations, such as the World Bank, EBRD, and the European Investment Bank.

c) MCR-IOE-UOB

The Institute of the Environment (IOE) was established in January 2004 to address pressing environmental concerns through scientific research and public action. It aims to motivate the public at large in Lebanon and the region to participate more effectively in the advancement of ethical and competent environmental practices. Through applied scientific research, the IOE strives to formulate and communicate scientific knowledge that fosters effective decision making supportive of sustainable development policies by promoting “Science as the Basis for Decision Making”.

This is achieved through 3 main programs: 1) The Marine and Coastal Resources (MCR) Program that focuses on understanding and managing issues concerned with the coastal zone and its associated resources. 2) The Land and Natural Resources (LNR) Program that focuses on understanding and managing various topics in the terrestrial natural environment and 3) The Environmental and Energy Economics (EEE) Program that focuses on valuating natural assets and studying the interaction between economics and the natural environment.

More specifically, the MCR Program spearheads, implements, and contributes to national, regional and international efforts designed to provide proper action-oriented management strategies for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). Its themes of interest vary from strategic management, to action planning, to oceanographical research (physical, chemical and biological), to biodiversity assessment and conservation, to pollution and climate change impacts, to Marine Protected Areas, and to blue economy amongst many others.

Much of the Program’s activities are embedded in applied research, community workshops, capacity building, participatory approaches, and stakeholder consultations ensuring practical adoption of sustainable development principles.