Lebanon's eco-management skills boosted
The project, known as INCAM , began by assessing the current status of Lebanon's natural resources and identifying gaps in environmental assessment capacities. The data collected concentrated on water, marine ecosystems, soil, vegetation, natural risks, man-made risks and the human development index. A book was then compiled in conjunction with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), with recommendations for the management of these natural resources. These will be of use to decision makers, stakeholders, academics, students and the public at large. The publication of the guide satisfied one of the major aims of INCAM, which was to highlight the country's CNRS as an authority on environmental assessments. Workshops, researcher and knowledge exchanges, and other capacity-building activities also took place to this end. For example, non-governmental organisations, ministries, environmental experts and decision makers came together at the Lebanese Parliament to discuss environmental remediation of the Upper Litani Watershed. They considered environmental pollution of the river and the potential technical, administrative and legislative management solutions. This is one case where INCAM has shown the importance of environmental data in the promotion of sustainable development. In addition, by boosting the leading scientific role of CNRS, INCAM has boosted relations between the Lebanese coastal region and the rest of the EU.
Keywords
Environmental assessment, coastal region, natural resources, sustainable development, capacity building
