Lebanon launches $3.5 million forest fire risk management project

BEIRUT — Under the patronage of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Lebanon's Environment Ministry on Tuesday launched a $3.5 million initiative aimed at reducing wildfire risks in vulnerable landscapes. 

The initiative, titled Forest Fire Risk Management in Natural Areas at Risk in Lebanon, is part of a broader national campaign to combat forest fires. It focuses on early warning systems, local coordination and forest restoration.  The project is being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), with support from the World Bank and local communities, including the Darb Akkar Environmental Protection Association.

Environment Minister Tamara Elzein highlighted the increasing threat, stating, “Lebanon recorded 4,264 wildfires in 2023, 6,345 in 2024, and 466 wildfires in 2025 till June, and the numbers keep rising.”

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Under the agreement, UNOPS will provide equipment, vehicles and communication tools for early warning and swift response to support first responders, Elzein explained during a press conference. The initiative also includes the creation of joint local operations centers to coordinate wildfire response efforts. Technical support will also be offered for biodiversity assessments, forest and wildfire management strategies and sustainable forest management practices 

Volunteer firefighter Khaled Taleb, head of the Darb Akkar association, appealed for greater support: “We are extending our hand to the government and saying help us help Lebanon’s nature remain green. Our community in Akkar is doing the best it can to stand by itself despite repeated forest fires. When we are fighting the community comes, makes us sandwiches, brings us water and tries to help. But the community can't solve this big and dangerous issue on its own. We hope this project would be one of many.”

In April, Greenpeace warned that wildfires recorded in Lebanon even before the start of the summer, when fires peak, were “an alarming indicator of the worsening effects of climate change in the region.”

Meanwhile, Darb Akkar volunteers returned to Lebanon on Saturday after helping contain wildfires in Syria's Latakia province. The fires, which burned for 10 days before being brought under control on Sunday, destroyed thousands of hectares of forest and were among the worst environmental disasters Syria has faced. The mission — Darb Akkar’s first abroad — was coordinated with Syrian, Turkish and Jordanian civil defense teams, fostering cross-border cooperation and knowledge-sharing.