With its 2 200 ha of stone pine forests, Jezzine area in South Lebanon, is well known for pine nuts production. However, the outbreak of the Leptoglossus occidentalis seed bug during the last decade has resulted in a decrease of 80 percent in nut production all over Lebanon. This insect pest causing the empty-cone syndrome, did not only affect the trees in the area, but also all pine nuts-based workers in Jezzine causing a drop in their income. Another pine bug, the Tomicus destruens, is also severely affecting the pine forests in Lebanon and in Jezzine, causing the death of several hundreds of trees.

Mindful of the urgency of intervention to solve this issue, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Lebanon responded to a request from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the Union of Municipalities in Jezzine, to develop and implement a Sustainable Forest Management Plan. The intervention started with the organization of a stakeholder’s meeting in collaboration with the Union of Municipalities and the local communities in Jezzine. They defined the objectives of a forest management plan and discussed forest protection from fires, diseases and unsustainable practices while promoting traditional forest-based jobs and products and sustainable activities such as rural tourism.

Following a resources assessment undertaken by a team from FAO and MoA with the support of the local authorities, FAO proposed a draft plan and discussed it with the Union of Municipalities. This plan proposed multi-usage management of Jezzine (Pine)’s forests including forest interventions focusing on forest protection and restoration, biodiversity conservation, capacity building, and livelihood improvement of the local community. 

According to Mr. Khalil Harfouche, Head of the Union of Jezzine Municipalities, “Our pine forests represent a treasure for us. It’s a main income generator for the inhabitants as well as for the municipalities. For us, protecting the forests and maintaining them in good health is one of the most important tasks we must undertake, and the current project with FAO Lebanon falls under this perspective”.

In the framework of the implementation of the Sustainable Forest Management, FAO Lebanon has distributed 2 000 funnel traps and pheromones in the pine nut forests of El Kobeh, Maknouniyeh, Haytoura and Kaytouleh in Jezzine covering about 11 percent of the total forest pine nut area in Jezzine. These traps are the main tool for the monitoring and control of the Tomicus destruens and strongly contribute to a decrease in the population size of the insect and consequently to the reduction in the number of trees affected.

All these activities are implemented under the framework of the “Smart Adaptation of Forest Landscapes in Mountain Areas (SALMA)” implemented by FAO in Lebanon in collaboration with the MoA and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The project's main objective is to enhance the resilience of vulnerable forest ecosystems and rural communities in mountain areas to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Responding to the National Afforestation and Reforestation Program, also known as the “40 Million Trees Program”, SALMA contributes to the achievement of reduced soil and water erosion, forest fire prevention and control, forest pest management, diversification of livelihood income (from ecosystem services) of 24 vulnerable communities, and improved adaptive capacity of these communities through reforestation/afforestation and sustainable and participative forest management at the landscape level.