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Forest fires are becoming increasingly worrying in Lebanon, having started as early as February this year. The extreme weather conditions are not making things any easier, as fire risks keep increasing, further impacting biodiversity. However, there are several ways to prevent these fires.
Last Wednesday, the Ministry of Environment, the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L), and the Lebanese Civil Defense declared a new strategy for the management of forest accidents. Such an initiative is all the more important given how early fires started this year, including accidents in Akkar last February and Mazboud (Chouf) in April.
The strategy in question – shared at a press conference held at the Lebanese National Librarym– is actually an updated version of the one adopted in 2009. It revolves around prevention instead of response and focuses on five main tactics: fire risk reduction, anticipation, intervention, recovery, and consolidation. It aims to support first responder units, such as municipalities, NGOs, associations, the Lebanese Civil Defense, and other entities.
Sixteen “hot zones”
The “hot zone” map has been updated to prevent forest fires, defining a total of sixteen “hot zones.” “WhatsApp groups have been created. These include first responder units, ministry officials, and myself,” explains Minister of Environment Nasser Yassine to This is Beirut. “These groups help monitor daily changes on the field and identify loopholes and the means to eliminate them.”
Municipalities and other entities have been granted specific equipment to better tackle such issues, and awareness campaigns concerning forest fire risk will be shared with the public to highlight correct fire prevention practices. Additionally, a strategy of surveillance, forest maintenance, and fire trail creation has been implemented.
A call for vigilance
“Fires spread more quickly with the heat,” Yassine warns. He calls upon citizens to be wary, avoid lighting fires near forests, and report any fire occurring near or inside forests to the authorities. The Minister of Environment also urged the relevant entities to respond quickly in order to stop fires from spreading to forests, as “this constitutes a threat to public security and the environment as a whole.”
Human activity, deliberate or not, remains the main cause behind forest fires. This includes bonfires, cigarette butts, construction activity, pyromania, and fires resulting from stubble burning. According to Rana el-Zein, scientist and ecophysiology/forest dynamics specialist, such practices have caused 95% of forest fires in Lebanon.
“Natural causes, such as climate change, that increase temperature and reduce rain frequency are another cause. It’s a recipe for disaster when it comes to forest fires,” she adds.
Nasser Yassine agrees: “Lebanon is becoming hotter and drier. Strong winds are affecting most areas, increasing accident risk.” Moreover, the country’s mountainous topography generates strong winds that accelerate the spread of fires in forests.
Reforestation
Secretary General of CNRS-L, Tamara el-Zein, explains to This is Beirut that “the CNRS-L plays a crucial role in preventing fires. Our remote sensing center gathers data from all observation points and translates it into reports, maps, and charts that the public can easily read. Our teams respond during and after accidents in order to assess damages and come up with an action plan.”
In that regard, the CNRS-L and the Ministry of Environment highlight the importance of delaying reforestation campaigns, knowing that forests can regenerate themselves. Reforestation should thus be conducted scientifically, and researchers have to identify the spaces to be planted according to tree migration. In that case, the objective is to assist trees in their migration process.
Impact on biodiversity
Lebanon is famously – and uniquely – biodiverse, with more than 3000 plant species, 80 mammal species, 40 reptile species, and no less than 400 bird species. Many of these species are native to this area. That being said, this same biodiversity is threatened by fires that have devastated large forests in recent years, making the soil sterile, destroying greenery, and limiting biodiversity.
Air quality in peril
Accidents also affect air quality. “Large quantities of polluting agents end up in the atmosphere,” explains Charbel Afif, an expert in air pollution and the Head of the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Sciences of Université Saint-Joseph. The polluting agents that one can easily observe in this context are the fine particles. Afif specifies: “Even if the fire is medium-sized, there will be a high level of fine particle emissions.”
When it comes to health, “the combustion of biomass, such as wood, agricultural waste, and forest residues, is liable to generate toxic emissions like fine particles, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic composites,” Charbel Afif adds. “Such emissions can affect human health, especially the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. They can also cause illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer, and cardiac conditions.”
Additionally, Afif highlights the major impact that forest fires have on the environment. He concludes: “By burning biomass, the carbon contained in forests is liberated, contributing to global warming and the greenhouse effect.”
