As part of the CEDRE program, Prof. Annie Tohmé Tabet, from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the USJ Faculty of Humanities (FLSH) is leading an interdisciplinary research project titled A Sensory Approach to Disasters: Bodies, Spaces, Memories, and Explosions - The Cases of the Beirut Port and the AZF Factory in Toulouse. This project, a collaboration between researchers and PhD students from USJ in Lebanon and the Université Lyon II in France, explores the physical and psychological impact of trauma experienced through the human body and collective memory.

The CEDRE program, a French-Lebanese Hubert Curien partnership, fosters scientific exchanges between French and Lebanese laboratories, encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, and supports young researchers through joint PhD programs. It also prioritizes projects that contribute to Lebanon’s development and address the challenges posed by the current crisis.

The research, co-funded by the USJ Research Board and led by Prof. Tohmé Tabet, aims to better understand human and collective responses to two major industrial disasters: the 2001 AZF factory disaster in Toulouse and the 2020 Beirut port explosion. By comparing the two events, the research assesses both the immediate and long-term psychological and physical effects on affected individuals and communities, with a particular focus on the resilience of the human body and memory in the face of tragedy.

The research team includes:

• Prof. Annie Tohmé Tabet, project director, urban sociologist and anthropologist, and professor in the FLSH Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
• Ms. Rita Zaarour, urban geographer and Head of the FLSH Department of Geography.
• Prof. Liliane Barakat, professor at USJ and urban planning geographer.
• Assoc. Prof. Boutros Ghanem, Head of the FLSH Department of Psychology and child trauma specialist.
• Dr. Charbel Skaff, assistant professor at USJ and psychologist specializing in traumatic grief and ambiguous loss caused by war.

The team is expected to expand, incorporating additional researchers to bring diverse disciplinary and methodological approaches to the study.

The research will unfold in two phases:

1. Field Survey: Starting in April 2025, a comprehensive survey will collect data from residents near the Beirut port, directly affected by the explosion. A validated questionnaire, approved by an ethics committee, will gather statistical insights into the community’s responses and perceptions. This data will be compiled into a database for analysis.
2. In-depth Interviews: From May or June 2025, researchers will conduct qualitative interviews with individuals who witnessed the explosion. These interviews will explore personal experiences and collective memories, providing valuable emotional and psychological context to the survey data.

One of the key challenges in this study is the reluctance of some residents to share their experiences or return to the affected neighborhoods, which complicates data collection. To address this, the research team has refined the questionnaire after an initial pilot phase to better capture the psychological and emotional impact on the community.

The project also takes a generational approach. It seeks to understand how individuals who lived through the Lebanese Civil War perceive this new traumatic event and how younger generations, who have not experienced the war, respond to such a sudden catastrophe. These questions are essential to the analysis and provide valuable insights into the long-term effects of generational trauma.

While the Lyon team will not conduct a comprehensive survey due to the historical distance of the AZF explosion, they have standardized the interview framework for meaningful comparison. Despite differences in the timeline of the events: the Beirut explosion is recent, while the AZF explosion occurred nearly two decades ago. Both disasters present similar challenges in understanding their lasting social and psychological effects.

The urban and social contexts of these two disasters vary significantly. In Beirut, the explosion devastated densely populated neighborhoods already suffering from decades of conflict, intensifying vulnerability and insecurity. On the other hand, the explosion in Toulouse, though impactful, occurred in an area with stronger infrastructure and psychological support systems.

The findings from this research will be shared through multiple channels:

• A joint scientific publication with the Lyon team, offering a detailed analysis of the results.
• A seminar or roundtable at USJ to present research outcomes and discuss themes of trauma, memory, and resilience.

This research will not only advance academic knowledge but also highlight the importance of understanding collective memory and trauma in post-catastrophe contexts. By exploring resilience and coping mechanisms, the study aims to offer practical recommendations to improve victim support systems and enhance risk prevention strategies.

This CEDRE-supported pioneering research enhances our understanding of how disasters affect populations and offers valuable insights into resilience dynamics in the face of collective trauma. This interdisciplinary effort not only fosters collaboration across various fields but also strengthens Franco-Lebanese scientific partnerships in a critical area for Lebanon’s future.

Read also: Entretien avec le Pr Annie Tohmé Tabet : Un projet CEDRE au cœur de la mémoire et du trauma