IPAMed Project

Pastoralism as a key tool for plant conservation:

Creating conditions for adequate practice

Legal aspects and the situation in Lebanon

and direct observations from the field during botanical surveys
Kahramanmaraş (Turkey), October 9-12, 2017
Ralph Zgheib, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Lebanon
Zeina Tamim, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Lebanon
Hicham El Zein, Nature Conservation Center, American University of Beirut
Moustapha Itani, Nature Conservation Center, American University of Beirut
 Summary
 Part 1 - Legal aspects and situation in Lebanon

 Part 2 – Case study: direct observations from the field

during botanical surveys
 General impacts on vegetation
 Complexity of the pastoral system in Lebanon
 Local transhumance and migration
 Rangelands shared by two countries
 Management issues
 Local solutions

 Conclusion
 Livestock production

 Sheep and goats are the main species of

livestock adapted to a range of climate
variability and dryness of the region
 Part 1 - Legal aspects and situation in Lebanon

According to latest statistics made by the ministry

of agriculture with the collaboration FAO:
 The production of sheep and goats is being
practiced by 9900 farmers across the country

 Most of the Lebanese small ruminant herds

are mixed between sheep and goats

 The small ruminant population in Lebanon is

around 700000 heads around 300000 sheep
and 400000 goat
Sheep production
 The
production of sheep is being
practiced by 4094 farmers

 25
percent of sheep raisers are landless
and they own around 108000 heads

 With an average of 100 sheep per farmer

Goats production

 Theproduction of goats is being practiced

by 5800 farmers

 19percent of goat raiser are landless so

they do not practice any land cultivation
and they own around 115000 heads

 With an average 69 goats per farmer

 Around 70 percent of the small ruminant
farmers (sheep, goat and mixed) are
small holders and own less than 50 heads.
Forest centres
Distribution
In addition to the
enforcement of the
forest law , the forest
guards are responsible
to ensure the
implementation of
projects (already
issued by the ministry of
agriculture) related to
forestry, forest
exploitation, rangeland
management and
improvement, and
other rural
development projects.
Problems that are affecting the sector
of raising small ruminants
Social and economical
 The lifestyle has changed from rural to urban.
 Abandonment of traditional livestock grazing activity
 Absence of official support and lack of necessary social
development services for the herders
 Lack of awareness about the importance of natural resources.
 People tended to demand the establishment of mandatory and
legal protections to prevent grazing aiming at protecting the green
areas and forests , and this prohibition may lead to the risk of forest
fires
 Lack of sufficient natural pastures due to land fragmentation.
 Low productivity of herd.
 Misuse and degradation of natural resources.
 Low rangeland productivity due to overgrazing.
 Absence of successful post-production marketing plan.
Management

 Poor management of the sector and the absence of a

comprehensive rangeland management plan.

 Limited technical capacity of staff .

 Centralization of decisions related to the investment of

natural resources, particularly pastures.
Ministry of Agriculture Strategy for 2015-2019

 Promoting good governance in rangeland

management through:
- Updating national legislation to comply with international
standards of laws and decisions

- Developing the capacities of the relevant official

departments (human and infrastructure)

- Activating local participation in the management and

protection of rangeland in coordination with municipalities
and environmental associations

- Raising awareness on the economic importance of

rangelands in rural development
 Develop a sustainable plan for rangeland and
pastoral plants at a national level aimed at:

- Assessment of pasture land and rangelands , their

fodder capacity and their pastoral load in
cooperation with the Agricultural Scientific
Research Authority
-
Identification of grazing systems and pathways

- Development of a national management plan for

rangelands

- Improvement of existing rangelands

Protection procedures
 Legal protection ‫الحماية القانونية‬

 Mandatory protection ‫الحماية اإلجبارية‬

 Self protected forest ‫الغابات المحتمية‬

 Protected forest ‫غابات محمية‬

 Natural reserves ‫المحميات الوطنية‬

Legal Protection; Article 83; Forest Law 1949

 The Minister of Agriculture may decide to prevent the

entry of livestock into the forested or non-forested
lands that are the property of individuals or villages if
their owners request in writing protection from grazing.
The prohibition decision shall be published in the
Official Gazette and shall be protected from the date
of publication. The protection of these lands from the
entry of livestock is governed by the provisions of Part
One of the Forest Act.
Mandatory Protection ; Article 92; Forest Law 1949

 The Minister of Agriculture may impose mandatory protection from the

entry of cattle to the pasture on areas that he deems necessary to be
protected for forestation and for the conservation of its forests whether
owned by the State, municipalities, villages or individuals.

 The Minister of Agriculture may decide to remove the goats from the
village lands, this measure requires the demand of the owner of the
three quarters of the area.

 Each family of goat owners shall have the right to keep three heads
kept in barn and it shall not be allowed to enter the municipal and
public lands and parks.

 The decision of the Minister of Agriculture shall be published in the

Official Gazette and circulated to the villages within and adjacent to
the protected area
 Self protected forest

Article 22 of the Forest law:

In the self protected forests, which are not affected by the
entry of cattle , grazing and other activities like fruit
collection can be exploited through public auction.

Article 109 of the Forest law:

Grazing is prohibited for a period of ten years on the entire
area of the burned or cut forest (self protected forest).
 Law of Forest Protection 558 issued 1996
Article 2, Protected Forest

 Cedars, Abies, Juniperus, Cupressus Forests and other

conifers , in addition to national reserves, are
considered protected by Law of Forest Protection 558.
The provisions of this law shall be applied to all forests
mentioned above, whether mixed or no, whether
owned by the state, with rights of use to the villages or
owned by villages and municipalities.
 Part 2 - Direct observations from
the field during botanical surveys
 General impacts on vegetation

 Most of the Mediterranean countries are facing the

same issues :

 Over-grazing + Lack of management

Impact on

 The floral diversity

 The landscape and ecosystems
Juniperus excelsa
Jabal Makmel
General impacts on vegetation

 Impact on floral diversity in Lebanon

 Many endemic species went rare

or nowhere to be found
Endemic Allium spp.
Jabal Sannine
General impacts on vegetation

 Impact on floral diversity in Lebanon

 Many endemic species went rare

or nowhere to be found

 Modify species composition of plant communities

 Reinforce the dominance of spiny or toxic species over

other species
Spiny cushion-like shrubland
Jabal Sannine
 General impacts on vegetation

 Impact on landscape and ecosystems in Lebanon

 Preventing forest regeneration

Ammiq
 General impacts on vegetation

 Impact on landscape and ecosystems in Lebanon

 Preventing forest regeneration

 Soil erosion accentuated by heavy winter rains and

summer droughts
Soil Erosion in South Lebanon
Marjayoun
Soil Erosion in Sannine
Complexity of the pastoral system
in Lebanon
 Profession altered in Lebanon

 Almost not practiced anymore by the Lebanese

themselves

 Lebanese own the flocks and hire Syrian shepherds

Local transhumance and migration

 Grazing occurs in every regions and at all levels of

altitude, from coast to highest summits

 Some herders stay all year round in the same region

 Some herders move to summer pastures on plateaux

at high altitude
Forests at 400 m altitude
Nahr Beirut
Plateau at 2500 m altitude
Jabal Makmel
 Local transhumance and migration

 Local Syrian shepherds with their own flocks

 They rent lands for their flocks and stay in Lebanon all the year

 Nomadic herds from the Beqaa and Anti-Lebanon coming

to graze in Mount Lebanon during the summer
Local transhumance and migration

 Impact of Syrian war on pastoralism

 Herders of Anti-Lebanon are forced to oversummer in

Mount Lebanon

 Increase the intensity of grazing in Mount Lebanon

Jabal Sannine
Rangelands shared by two countries
 International pastoralists

 Historical relationships between the two countries

 Many Syrian shepherds have been coming to Lebanon in

summer for centuries, long time before the establishment of the
borders

 They revendicate their ancestral rights to graze in Lebanon

 Porosity of the borders in Anti-Lebanon mountain range

Local migrations in
summer:

-Mount Lebanon to
higher altitudes

-Anti-Lebanon and
Beqaa to Mount
Lebanon

Syrian migrations in
summer :

-To different
locations in
Lebanon
 Management issues

• Example of the lack of control and management

on shepherds

• Common to see flocks grazing in natural reserves

Cedrus libani forest
Tannourine Protected Area
Quercus cerris forest
Qammouaa Protected Area
Quercus cerris forest
Qammouaa Protected Area
 Local solutions

 Local initiative

 Municipalities and villagers manage grazing on some

private and public lands
(e.g. Niha Zahle, Manara, Baaloul)
Manara
Anti-Lebanon
 Local solutions

 Municipalities with NGOs:

Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon
(SPNL)
 Revival of the « Himas » system: lands protected by
local authorities for public use

 These lands are grazed only during a specific period

of the year
(e.g. municipalities of Kfar Zabad, Fekha)
• Areas protected
for conservation
purposes
concentrated
where forests and
woodlands are
found (western
facing slopes
Mount Lebanon).
• Himas are the
predominant form
of land protection
in the Beqaa
Valley.
 Local solutions

 Municipalities
with NGOs :
Jouzour Loubnan and municipality of Kfardebian

 300 ha fenced for reforestation and to prevent

shepherds
 Hypothesis to prove that forest can grow at this
altitude without the pressure of the goats
 Local solutions

 Municipalities
with NGOs :
Jouzour Loubnan and municipality of Kfardebian

 Important conflict happened with shepherds:

the fence was cut open
and the area had to be reduced to 150 ha
Conclusion
Causes
-National policy for forests and rangelands management not adapted
-Governance system with limited human resources
-Lack of community-based management

Current situation
Overgrazing : limited spaces to graze and conflicts between land users

Impact
-Rangelands and forests degradation
-Soil erosion
-Destruction of landscapes
Conclusion

 Regulations exist, but need for application and

control to manage grazing and shepherds
movements

 Ensure a sustainable livelihood for herders

 Need of protected areas to ensure the

regeneration of the spontaneous vegetation
 Jabal Kneisse

Thank you for your

attention
References
 Asmar, F.R. 2011. Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles Lebanon. FAO.
 Darwish, T. and G. Faour. 2008. Rangeland degradation in two watersheds of
Lebanon.
 FAO. 2005. National Forest and Tree Assessment and Inventory Lebanon.
 FAO/Ministry of Agriculture. 2010. Agricultural Assessment (updated in 2017).
 Kilani, H., A. Serhal, and O. Llewlyn. 2008. Al-Hima: A way of life. IUCN West Asia
regional/Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon.
 Lebanon State of the Environment. 2001. Chapter 2.
 Pabot, H. 1959. La vegetation sylvo-pastorale et son ecologie. FAO.
 Raouda R. 1992. Livestock Production in Southern Lebanon, Rangelands14(2)
 Sattout, E., P. M. Herrera, J. Davies, and P. Manzano Baena. 2014. The Governance
of Rangelands: Collective Action for Sustainable Pastoralism
Field observations and ongoing field research
 Hicham Elzein, Pastoral system and movements - meeting shepherds during
botanical fieldwork across Lebanon from 2013 to 2017.
 Ramzi El-Malti, Moustapha Itani, Hicham Elzein, observed impact of grazing on
plant species in the IPA of Jabal Sannine, field botanical fieldwork 2017.
 Ramzi El-Malti and Salma N. Talhouk, in depth interview with a semi-nomadic
shepherd family in the summer pastures of the IPA of Jabal Sannine; 2017.
Personal communication
 Sabbouh Elzein, livestock farmer in the region of the Beqaa, Baalbek; 2017