Hussam Hawwa

Hussam Hawwa

Founder and Director of Difaf

Hussam studied Agricultural Sciences and Engineering at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and Rural Development Studies with a minor in Integrated Water Resources Management at Wageningen University, complemented by technical and environmental courses such as the Water Evaluation and Planning Design Course at Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Constructed Wetland Design Course at UNESCO-IHE.

After over 12 years of experience in water, wastewater, agriculture, environment and development sectors, he founded a consultancy and design engineering firm, Difaf, where he initiated, conducted and managed many national and regional projects that dealt with integrated water resources management, wastewater treatment, water and wastewater quality monitoring, sustainable agriculture, waste-to-resource and circular economy, ecological restoration, and environmental policy.

He collaborated with municipalities, farmers, governmental establishments and international NGOs across Lebanon, implementing and overseeing technical, research, training and assessment projects. Hussam was also an invited speaker at notable events such as Beirut Water Week and think-tank round table discussions on water issues. He also won several entrepreneurship awards, including The Nature Conservation Center Award at AUB and the CEWAS Middle-East award for innovative business cases, where the start-up ideas turned into new technical consultancy lines in Difaf.

Aside from his professional background, Hussam has run for municipal elections in Beirut to epitomize his passion for public sector development, with his list Beirut Madinati winning 40% of votes. He is also a member-elect at the Order of Engineers & Architects in Beirut, an avid environmentalist, and a recognized passionate photographer.