Good timing for the plantation of forest trees is essential to improve the success rate in a semi-arid environment. 

In the framework of the “Smart Adaptation of Forest Landscapes in Mountain Areas” (SALMA) implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the NGO Cooperation Without Borders (CWB) undertook a reforestation campaign in the arid area of Al Qaa and Ras Baalbeck in Northeast Baalbeck.

The CWB team has planted the forest seedlings before the snowstorm that hit Lebanon on 17 February 2021 ensuring that seedlings receive enough water to sprout in early spring. 5,400 seedlings of drought-tolerant species (Rhus coriaria, Amygdalus communis, and Pirus syriaca) with economic value for the local communities of Ras Baalbeck and Qaa were planted in partnership with both municipalities. FAO and CWB used clay jars buried in the root zones of the seedlings as an innovative solution to rationalize irrigation and reduce costs while minimizing seedling mortality rates.

The seedlings were purchased from local nurseries, while Lebanese youth and Syrian refugees carried-out the plantation through a cash-for-work initiative. This initiative represents a pilot model of community engagement for marginal land restoration in semi-arid areas. The SALMA project aims at enhancing the resilience of vulnerable rural communities, their livelihoods in mountain areas by increasing the forest cover, and implementing sustainable forest management.