Mock tourism video uses drone to show Lebanon's mountains of rubbish

Activists poked fun at the Lebanese tourism ministry over a video it commissioned showing natural beauty by releasing their own aerial footage of garbage festering across the country.

Rubbish has piled up on beaches, mountain forests and river beds across Lebanon since the closure in July of a landfill.

Called "Rise Above Lebanon's Political Garbage", the mock video commissioned by the "You Stink" protest movement shows mountains of rubbish across the country.

In one of the shots filmed by a drone, plastic bags containing rubbish can be seen stretching for miles like overflowing rivers.

In that video, Lebanon, once nicknamed the "Switzerland of the Middle East", is seen from a totally different angle.

Spectacular aerial views show pristine beaches, lush mountains, rivers, archeological sites - all rubbish-free.

Activists and doctors have warned that the uncollected rubbish could trigger diseases, such as cholera, in the population.

Under public pressure, the government approved in September a plan to tackle the rubbish crisis, but campaigners said it was too vague and did not meet their demands.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has even threatened to resign and the government has met on several occasions to try and find a solution to the crisis but to no avail.

In past demonstrations, protesters have demanded the government resign over its failure to clean up the country.