The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012. The Day aims at raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On this occasion, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities, such as tree planting campaigns. The theme for 2023 is "Forests and health." The theme for each International Day of Forests is selected by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. 

On this occasion, FAO in Lebanon highlights its work in the forestry sector and all the activities implemented with the Ministry of Agriculture between March 2022 and March 2023 to promote sustainable development and forests.

FAO Representative in Lebanon, Nora Ourabah Haddad explains that FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture work on promoting sustainable management of natural resources including water and integrated forest management to mitigate climate change and adapt to it.”

She adds: “To reach this goal, the organization intensified reforestation efforts during the period between March 2022 and March 2023, with financial support from donors.”

In this context, FAO collaborated with 10 NGOs to undertake management and maintenance activities in 26 locations all over the Lebanon with a total surface of 665 hectares. FAO also developed sustainable forest management plans in several areas in Lebanon and established two mountain ponds in Keserwan as a water resource for the livestock that use the site for grazing. FAO also has constructed water reservoirs in five forested areas with high forest fire risk 9 Ras el Metn, Daroun, Bentael, Karm-Sadde and Diman) and established water distribution networks within the forests to improve readiness in case of forest fires.

In addition, FAO is supporting the Ministry of Agriculture in its effort to update the Forest Law, and in building the capacities of its the technical staff and those of local partners involved in the integrated and sustainable management of natural resources.

These above-mentioned activities are implemented within the framework of the FAO project “Smart Adaptation of Forest Landscapes in Mountain Areas” (SALMA) implemented by FAO in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the FAO project “Upscaling Forest and Landscape Restoration to Achieve Nationally Determined Contributions “funded by IKI Germany.