Rangeland restoration in Lebanon

In July 2022, the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) team of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) visited restoration sites in Lebanon with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of Lebanon as part of the project funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry of the Environment, called “The Paris Agreement in action: upscaling forest and landscape restoration to achieve nationally determined contributions”. While travelling, the FAO and MoA project team discussed the activities carried out during the recent pandemic years and the next steps and had a meeting with the mayor of Tannourine, where rangeland management plans will be implemented as part of restoration.  

Tannourine is a municipality in the North Governorate, with an elevation ranging from 1450 m to 2200 m above sea level. In these highlands, mainly composed of grass- and shrublands, over 1000 hectares are considered rangelands and are managed by the municipality. 

In 2020, FAO Lebanon and the MoA carried out field studies, and activities were detailed in an article published in a previous FLRM newsletter issue. Following up on this work, nine rangeland management units (RMUs) were identified, and the collection of field data was repeated in 2021 to account for annual variability.  

All the data collected was analysed and used to determine the carrying capacities of the different RMUs, which then served as a basis for preparing the municipal rangeland management plans. These include detailed information on grazing periods and rotation among the RMUs, as well as on additional supporting initiatives in the area, which may be useful to support implementation, such as water facilities and feed supply. 

The team relied on nationally developed rangeland management guidelines for the development of the rangeland management plans. However, it became obvious that these guidelines required further refinement. In particular, they should provide in-depth information to field teams on identifying plant species and assessing the socioeconomic contexts within the targeted communities.  

It was agreed with the municipality that the investments needed to implement the management plans would be made through a local partner (e.g. a non-governmental organization). The municipality and this local partner are preparing for a start of field activities during the next grazing season (May or June 2023). The management of the rangelands will ensure that the communities’ natural resources are better allocated among local shepherds, who will be able to reduce, to the extent possible, their purchase of expensive feed. The communities at large will also benefit from the availability of high-quality, locally produced meat and dairy products, which contribute to the economy and consolidate their food security.  

The team is already working on a project proposal for the next financing cycle of the Global Environment Facility, focusing on restoration of degraded areas in Lebanon through an integrated landscape approach. This would provide continuity with the work already done and would be an opportunity to replicate the approach in other parts of the country.