Lebanon: Overview and Status of Property Surveying, Registration and Digitization in the South and Nabatiyeh (June 2026)

Country: Lebanon Source: Norwegian Refugee Council Please refer to the attached file. Introduction Since the re-escalation of hostilities in Lebanon beginning on 2 March 2026, several governmental institutions responsible for land administration and property documentation have faced operational disruption, in particular in the South and Nabatiyeh Governorates. This may have a profound impact on affected property owners, who may be displaced, who have lost housing land and property documents, as well as whose homes, agricultural lands, commercial premises or other properties have been destroyed. Housing Land and Property (HLP) rights are enshrined through a variety of international legal frameworks, including the Pinheiro Principles, which outline the rights of displaced populations to return and reclaim property and land or to receive fair compensation if this is not possible. The IASC framework on durable solutions also frames HLP rights as a key pillar. Land governance in Lebanon is complex due to the existence of multiple categories of land, including private properties, Amiri lands, waqf properties and public State lands, in addition to overlapping legal, administrative and judicial procedures governing ownership and land use. This report does not aim to provide a comprehensive analysis of land governance issues in Lebanon more broadly, but focuses specifically on the surveying, registration and digitization of property records, and how the status of these processes may affect access to HLP rights. It focuses on the South and Nabatiyeh Governorates and includes an update on the current operational status of the relevant Land Registry Offices responsible for maintaining property records and registration services in each district. It shows how varying levels of surveying and digitization can impact the realization of HLP rights, and the pathways for families to retrieve lost HLP documents. In the uncertain context in Lebanon, the progress in surveying, registering and digitalizing of property in the South of Lebanon remains an important safeguard against HLP disputes, and may impact an individual’s ability to claim ownership, begin the process of rehabilitation or reconstruction, and / or claim any compensation. This report was compiled by NRC through information provided by Lawyers, and employees in the Land Registry in Saida, and the Head of the Cadastre Department in Tyre, and confirmed by the Head of the Cadastre Department and the Head of the Information Technology Department at the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre.
2026-07-01 13:10:28