Over the past few days, Lebanon’s green areas saw a wave of fires engulfing the country from North to South, passing through Mount Lebanon. The fires have led to immense levels of destruction and green area damage, and reveal lacunes across a range of systematic, political, and broader climate levels.
Among the impacted areas are the forest of Bkassine, considered the largest pine forest in the Middle East.
Israeli Attacks and Fires
In the South, repeated Israeli attacks continue to extensively harm Lebanon’s southern communities, killing and injuring tens of individuals over the past weeks, and destroying large swathes of the region’s livelihood occupations, infrastructure, and nature.
Among the fires that spread across areas close to the South, many were connected to Israeli attacks nearby. The attacks, which range from strikes to other operations, are reported to have caused fires that have subsequently led to widespread burning across forests and green areas.
Throughout the conflict, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have resulted in 6,000 hectares of damaged agricultural land, more than 2,192 hectares of burnt agricultural land, and the disruption of agricultural activities in 13,000 hectares.
The Reality of Climate Change
The fires also cannot be separated from the unique and exponential rise in climate crises that have been impacting Lebanon and the region for the last few years. Lebanon is facing what is considered the worst drought in years, and farmers and local communities have suffered considerably due to the mixed impacts of drought and conflict.
The Arab region has been characterized as one of the regions most impacted by climate change, despite contributing less than five percent to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Absent adequate interventions to counter the adverse impacts of climate change, the region is expected to suffer from continued back-to-back climate crises, including droughts, rising temperatures, and unstable conditions.
Lebanon’s Institutional Lacunes
On a national level, Lebanon’s political economy has hitherto made matters worse for the country’s green areas and the communities most vulnerable to climate-related crises.
Absent monitoring of generator fuel and pollution, limited funding to agricultural and green initiatives, and inadequate resilience mechanisms are some of the many issues exasperating climate crises in the country.
Without proper intervention at local, national, and global levels, Lebanon and the region are expected to face continued instances of this sort. Wildfires now, and floods and road issues in the upcoming winter season later, the region is in urgent need of both short-term and long-term interventions that safeguard its environment and the protection of the most vulnerable population groups.
