The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns. The theme for 2021 is "Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being".

On this occasion, FAO Representation in Lebanon prepared a TV spot to highlight the importance of forest restoration as a key nature-based solution for building back better and achieving the future we want.

Link to the movie

FAO in Lebanon: promoting sustainable management of natural resources

FAO’s assistance to Lebanon focuses on the promotion of sustainable development of the agriculture sector, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant ministries.

The first National Forest and Tree Assessment based on systematic sampling in Lebanon was implemented in 2003 by the Ministry of Agriculture with the support of FAO. The assessment estimated that 13 percent of the Lebanese territories are effectively forests while another 10-12 percent are covered by “other wooded lands”.  

The MoA, with the support of FAO, is currently conducting a new assessment to update the information accordingly.

FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with other public bodies and NGOs intensified reforestation efforts over the past year with funding support from local and international donors, in addition to the private sector.

In this context, the project “Smart Adaptation of Forest Landscapes in Mountain Areas” (SALMA) is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). It addresses both environmental and socio-economic priorities through the promotion of environmental governance integrating community-based and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches. The project’s objective is to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of vulnerable rural communities in mountain areas through sustainable forest management.

The project is also assisting consortiums of municipalities and NGO partners in implementing participatory reforestation and afforestation plans.

Since 2014, FAO has been assisting the Ministry of Agriculture in implementing forest landscape restoration activities enabled through German and Korean funding. Completed activities include the restoration of stone terraces in the Qadisha Valley and in the Shouf Biosphere Reserve. Ongoing activities are targeting the restoration of more than 1000 ha of rangelands and degraded woodlands used for grazing. FAO is also assisting the Ministry in its efforts to review and update the Forest Law.