Building-up a participatory governance framework for the sustainable development of forests and rural territories in Lebanon

The on-going project aims at supporting the engagement of Lebanese Municipalities and local stakeholders and strengthening their capacities in the planning, implementation, management and monitoring of sustainable forest development activities and in the valorization of forest goods and services, as to enhance territory socioeconomic development.

This collective initiative needs to identify in the three Lebanese neighboring communities the economic opportunities and market niche for development of the forest resources and its related services as a way to sustain the local communities. 

Participatory tools and approaches are used to identify the major stakeholders and their economic, social and environmental challenges.  The development of local initiatives of forest related products/services will be supported in various ways (production, marketing…) while contributing to the promotion and the development of the communities as a one “terroir”. 

The present approach is essential in engaging the communities aiming at the development of socio-economic development plans as to support sustainable forest related activities in the “terroir”. As a result, several income generating activities will be promoted based on the valorization of forest goods and services. This will contribute in ensuring the sustainability of the community by the creation of jobs for the locals from one part, and by engaging them in the protection, the conservation and the sustainable exploitation of natural resources from another part.

Reforestation component to the SALMA project

The Sustainable Agricultural Livelihood in Marginal Areas project (SALMA) is funded by the Global Environment Facility.

The SALMA project encourages afforestation, reforestation and forest management projects, conducted in close cooperation with municipalities, civil society and national non-profit organizations while promoting economically feasible actions. It aims at decreasing the cost of afforestation reforestation while engaging local communities in the decision making process in the context of participatory reforestation models.

Seeds-int is supporting the project in the reforestation component by assisting in the facilitation process with the municipalities and the local communities with regards to the prepared Manual by the SALMA project. It eventually includes the design and the implementation of training events related to the project’s implementation for supporting the implementation of the Participatory Reforestation Plan Manual (PRPM) in the selected Lebanese regions.