Protection of the Laurel Black Forest in Menjez, Valorization of Green Waste and Awareness Campaigns

Partner: Municipality of Menjez

Location: Menjez, Akkar

Donor: Embassy of Norway in Beirut

Duration: December 2018 – March 31, 2021

Budget: 130,720$

Grant: 118,220 $

Local contribution: 12,500 $

Objective:

With the overall objective of protecting and preserving the Menjez laurel black forest through the sustainable management of organic waste, the project aims at establishing a forest organic waste processing unit to be managed by the municipality while also improving the protection of the forest.

Description:

The area of Menjez was declared an Important Plant Area by IUCN and a Hotspot ecosystem by CEPF. The laurel forest is of 480,000 sqm. The municipality has recently estimated that an average of 3,000 m2 of the forest is illegally logged every year for heating purposes, increasing the risk of wildfires as the smaller branches are disposed of on the forest floor.

In addition to fire prevention, efforts to properly manage forest resources and by-products are required to preserve the natural environment of Menjez, while in the longer term contribute to climate change mitigation efforts. In parallel, sustainable resource management will provide additional income generating activities for the municipality, contributing to community resilience and co-existence. A holistic approach is required to ensure both environmental conservation and additional sources of income for the village population, which would increase acceptance of new techniques and reduce illegal practices.

Activities:

Beneficiaries:

Menjez’s inhabitants (around 1,000)