Beyond Magazine Issue 3 Summer 2010 by Beyond Magazine

FORWARD

Where the municipalities come in

ow that the local polls have come to a wrap, it must be said that municipalities, being the elected bodies closest to citizens and their communities, play an essential role in promoting healthier living and a better management of natural resources to ensure clean air and water, a safe food supply and diverse and well managed environment. Newly elected municipalities can act alone or together in collaboration with citizens, civic groups, and businesses in a number of areas to promote a healthier and better environment. That includes instituting recycling programs and clean-up days, supporting safe agriculture and tree-planting initiatives, and developing local ecotourism, which can be income generating while protecting the environment. This is in addition to contributing to the beautification of the nation through the preservation of green spaces, the reduction of random advertisement panels, public awareness campaigns, and enforcing building codes. Municipalities have faced a string of challenges in protecting the environment in past years. This has for the most part been related to insufficient resources, poor collaboration between municipalities and other branches of government, and limited concern for a more sustainable environment. Nevertheless, several

municipalities have taken initiatives to help introduce recycling plants, green sidewalks, clean seashores, parks and nature reserves, and trails such as the ones developed by the Municipality of Ehmej. Of course, much remains to be done in that department. It is no secret that our environment is hurting. The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s green cover has dwindled to 13 percent of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total area, according to recent studies. This not only calls for alarm but also for immediate action. The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities has tried to contribute where it can to reversing this situation by better equipping and training civil forces in charge of firefighting and procuring three firefighting helicopters. In collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministries of Tourism and Public Works and Transport, we are also working to introduce new measures that will help the environment, reduce traffic and pollution, as well as enhance living standards. In conclusion, we should aim for reorganizing public transport utilizing less polluting fuels and finding ways to decentralize economic activity to reduce commuting time while encouraging telecommuting. Ziyad Baroud Minister of Interior and Municipalities

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An Award to make Lebanon proud. 2009 bears the stamp of recognition for BLOM BANK and Lebanon equally. Having been privileged with the “Bank of the Year” award for Lebanon by The Banker for several times and again in 2009, BLOM BANK is the ﬁrst Lebanese bank to be proudly named “Bank of the Year” in the Middle East. This prestigious title endorses BLOM BANK’s future oriented vision aiming at reinforcing its leading position in local and regional markets and crowns its mission to provide its customers with peace of mind. www.blom.com.lb

A word from the publisher

Changing lanes … green hope ahead

he time when the Lebanese were so obsessed with their own plans for “a better life” that they took advantage of any resource available to them – regardless of the cost or consequence – has luckily begun to fade away. In the recent past, the notion of “environmental protection” for most people was more of a remote, Western luxury than a reality related to their own immediate lives. Ecological behavior during that period was rather primitive and limited, and so was national responsibility towards the massive pollution and destruction posed to the environment. But hope floats, as we are witnessing more and more heightened ecological awareness among people and professionals. Individuals are taking personal symbolic action in rejection of destroying what remains of the environment. Various industries, such as construction and banking, have joined in. And major newspapers, magazines, and TV stations are dedicating columns and featuring regular programs on the environment. So sustainability, recycling, and organic produce … are becoming more than just words in people’s everyday lives, psyche, and priorities, while pollution and climate change are no longer distant concerns we refuse to trouble our minds with. Today, the government, the media, organizations, and the public, are all jumping the green bandwagon and developing an “environmental conscience”… and wide-scale green awareness is happening, slowly but surely… As its third edition hits newsstands, Beyond has gained ground as an indispensable environmental guardian, given its ability to expose and criticize wrongdoers, command good deeds, and communicate with the public. It has performed its core goal with much passion, commitment, and accuracy. And it was welcomed with arms wide open. We can say with confidence that it is serving its purpose well. We see more green hope ahead… Long live green Lebanon!

Pascale Choueiri Saad

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Publisher and General Director Pascale Choueiri Saad

Co-owner

Ronald Saad

Chief Editor

Maha Majzoub

Environmental Consultants Edgard Chehab, Bassam Kantar, Sawsan Bou Fakhreddine

Coordinator

Joelle Choueiry Makhoul

Chief Photographer Nada Karam

Special Guest Photographers

Chafic Ariss, Clement Tannouri, Cherine Yazbeck Bosquin, Michel Zoghzoghi

Design and Graphics Pauline Hage

Illustrations

Rena Karanouh, Fouad Doughan

Responsible Director Antoine Hajj

Contributing Writers

Mira Achkar, Suzanne Baaklini, Karah Byrns, Amer El-Haddad, Marcos Hado, Nizar Hani, Wael Hmaidan, Kristen Hope Burchill, Jessica Kalache, Bassam Kantar, Richard Labaki, Dalila Mahdawi, Antoine Naaman, Hala Naffah, Aline Sara, Cherine Yazbeck Bosquin

Printed by

Chamas for Printing & Publishing Mazraa, Colombia Center Beirut, Lebanon This magazine is printed on recycled paper.

Published by

Five Stars Tourism s.a.r.l. Azarieh Str. Azarieh Bldg. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bloc A1 Beirut, Lebanon Tel: +961 1 994 006 Fax: +961 1 994 007

Spring Awakening 2010

Cover photo by Clement Tannouri

BEYOND TEAM

contents

14 THE IRON-FISTED CONSERVATIONIST Talking to Sleiman Franjieh

26 The Italian job

When in Rome, or Beirut, do as the Romans do

56 Cut to the chase

Shooting for proper hunting laws and conditions in Lebanon

76 Wasting away

The Sidon dump and other trashy stories

96 Sustainable Transport

We ride together, we triumph together

116 Beyond borders

Touch the moon, hug the clouds

124 Organic market

Going back to the roots

150 A walk in the park

How public are our gardens

180 Setting sail

Yachts go eco too

184 Eco Architecture

Youssef Tohme: Daring by nature

192 My zero carbon house Come right in

206 singing for the earth A day with Paul Abi Rached

when you are done leafing through beyond, shelf it as your trusted green companion or send it to recycling

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Contributors

Edgard Fouad Chehab

Bassam al-Kantar

Clement Tannouri

Assistant Resident Representative and the Energy and Environment Program Manager of United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Mr. Chehab is the voice of reason and hand of unyielding support for us at Beyond. An advisor to Environment Minister Mr. Mohammad Rahal, Chehab enjoys a 17year stint in the environment field, both locally and regionally.

A well of ideas, Mr. Kantar is a seasoned journalist who has been writing about the environment in the daily Al Akbhar since 2006. He is a founding member of Lebanese Environmental Party (LEP) and a human rights activist. In this issue, Kantar draws attention to the beaches to go and others to avoid in Lebanon. He also explains the role of municipalities in garnering support for the environment.

A special kudos to Mr. Tannouri for the stunning pictures he shared with Beyond from his book On Earth as it is in Heaven (2009), which captures Lebanon’s grandeur from the sky. An aerial photography specialist, Tannouri is also behind the 2007 Box of Moments, a collection of posters of the most picturesque landscapes of the four seasons of Lebanon.

Sawsan Bou Fakhreddine

Nader El Nakib

Cherine Yazbeck Bosquin

Director General of the Association for Forests, Development, and Conservation (AFDC), Mrs. Bou Fakhreddine is an environment consultant for Beyond. She has been active in the field for over 13 years. Her experience encompasses working with concerned ministries to develop environmental strategies. She also lends advice to the Environment Parliamentary Committee and the Minister of Displaced in rural development.

President of G, an NGO whose aim is to advance green and sustainable design projects, Mr. Nakib has a keen interest in the green movement and combating climate change. International officer of the Future Movement, Nakib currently serves on the boards of the AUB Alumni Council, Business Week Market Advisory, and Economist Global Executive Forum. Check out G’s article on eco-friendly paint under Horizons.

Mrs. Bosquin is one of the finest photojournalists today and is a regular contributor to international media. She has authored many books including The Rural Taste of Lebanon – a Food Heritage Trail (2009), through which she fulfils her desire to record her country’s food heritage. The cooking aficionado writes a special piece on ethical eating. She also zooms in on the unsightly Sidon dump.

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Spring Awakening 2010

introduction

First came the revolution, now the evolution

e see it happen all too often: An exciting enterprise that starts out with a bang only to lose its lustre soon after. For some reason, many fail to understand that making a spectacular entrance alone is insufficient on the long haul. And so only by constantly evolving and maturing could anything remain in the spotlight. We at Beyond take nothing for granted â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not our beloved country and its environment and surely not our cultured and highly conscious readers. Consequently, we allow that aching yet driving form of anxiety to fuel our desire for growth; to rest on our laurels is simply out of the question. Every issue of our cherished publication builds upon the strengths of its predecessors and manages to take a step or two outside the established comfort zone. In this issue, we have assembled a wide array of in-depth features, insightful interviews, and informational tidbits. As general sustainable transport has proven vital to clear up the lungs of our smoggy region, we looked at the dire need for a Middle Eastern railway network and encouraging biking in order to minimize traffic-induced pollution. We also shed light on ecotourism in Lebanon and on the local organic industry. We tried to pick the brains of prominent local and regional big shots like Lebanon MP Sleiman Franjieh and Jordanian Environment Minister Hazem Malhas. We had a long talk with highly creative individuals such eco shoe designers Nancy Dong and Natalie Dean. And for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;eco-architectureâ&#x20AC;? section, we give you a sneak peek into the underway Beit Beirut museum and zero carbon homes coming here. This edition also thoroughly explores the issues of waste management and hunting in the country. As you can see, Beyond is constantly pushing the envelope in terms of spreading awareness and in bringing an all-encompassing eco-friendly lifestyle to the forefront. Yes, we will continue in our quest to be at the frontlines of environmental defense. And yes, we will continue to make you proud!

Maha Majzoub

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TA K I N G A S TA N D

In the lead

700,000 woodland trees in Zgharta and its environs and setting up a one million cubic-meter dam in Bnachii Lake. When Beyond met up with Franjieh at his home in Bnachii to discuss the green campaign of his Marada Movement, we were nothing short of awed by the density of the man’s hands-on environmental knowledge and technical knowhow. Franjieh, who comes from long line of politicians, is kind of a jack of all trades – he is an outdoor sports aficionado, a hunter, and a passionate photographer with a knack for shooting both landscapes and artistic photos. In favor of green rangers and environmental protection police in Lebanon, word has it he personally hired people to do a regular sweep of Zgharta’s mountains in a bid to maintain a clean environment. The environment is a major source of revenue, he stresses.

Interviewed by Pascale choueiri saad Photographs by Nada Karam

Claiming the limelight

Sleiman Franjieh leads the green charge

here is something about politicians and the way we theorize about them. We assume they sit home all day reading history books or political bestsellers to pump up their political background or to prepare for their next public debate or speech. We tend to create such fantastical auras about them that sometimes we forget they are human too. Putting a human face on environmental public policy is

GROUND

Zgharta MP Sleiman Franjieh, a man known for his utter outspokenness and pragmatism. Franjieh’s “green stories” are far from recent, as he has done some heavy lifting as a lawmaker to declare Horsh Ehden forest as a nature reserve 18 years ago, earning him merit as an ecological frontrunner. You would not hear that from him though. He is not one to publicize or boast of his environmental endeavors, which include the planting of some

Beyond – You are known to be a nature conservationist who garnered support for many Lebanese efforts to preserve the environment. Why is that? Sleiman Franjieh – The area I live in helps. I grew up in an agricultural, mountainous area and my family has always had a strong relationship with nature. I believe that is what led me to have this concern for the environment. Life teaches you and you evolve, and then you start incorporating scientific and technical knowledge and you manage to reach a proper understanding of the environment in your area. I never backed the environment from a theoretical approach. It was a more practical approach because many people in this country are enemies of nature without even knowing it. Because of this practicality, people started interacting with each other here and they are slowly becoming environmentally aware.

B – You facilitated the declaration of the Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve in 1992. How difficult was the process? SF – We went to parliament and asked that Horsh Ehden be labeled a nature reserve, at a time when talk of the environment was in its infancy. It was inconceivable for fellow parliamentarians that we MPs of Zgharta would ask to make Ehden a nature reserve, arguing that people would no longer be able to grill meat or do barbeques there, as it was a favorite picnicking site. Parliament at the time was surprised that we wanted to close up that area to the public. It was difficult to convince other MPs that this was our demand. The bill was ultimately passed and applied. It was (scientist and author) Ricardus Haber who drafted the bill. B – Why did the Marada Movement decide to go green? SF – You know, we did not effectively decide to go green out of the blue, as nature has always been a core part of us. From 1994 until now, I’ve planted around 700,000 trees in the area, including pine and cinchona trees. There are also around 400,000 olives trees, which we distribute to the farmers to cultivate. We have also released over 10,000 partridges in nature with the required follow up in an effort to maintain the ecological balance. We also introduced wild boars to the area. People used to think the wild boar is harmful to the environmental but later they noticed that it creates balance in

certain areas because they dig up the land allowing everything that fell from trees to be replanted. They also prevent fire. Boars and partridges are good examples of animals that can maintain environmental equilibrium. If hunting of boars and partridges is organized, for instance, it can be better for the environment. That can serve as an alternative to shooting animals that may not be hunted.

and do the exam and permit through private companies while the government punishes law violators, the whole thing would be regulated. After all there is a margin for illegal hunting everywhere in the world. But here every time a hunter messes up, we ban hunters who are doing the right thing. Why don’t we organize this through dialogue with hunters, which is what is happening in the area?

B – Where do you stand on hunting? SF – I am for organized hunting and against uncultured hunting because well studied hunting can actually help nature. Many say hunting per se is against nature. I disagree, as hunting can be ecological if hunters get organized and the proceeds of obtaining licenses go to developing the environment. One example of organized hunting is freeing a number of partridges. So instead of shooting a small bird a hunter shoots a partridge. He will benefit more and catch a nicer bird, one that can be bred again. That would be sustainable hunting. We would be protecting other animals and birds that should not be hunted. Instead of preventing hunters the way we are now, we can ask them to sit for once in lifetime exam through private companies to learn the basics about hunting and when to and not to hunt certain birds and animals. Every year the hunter would renew the permit, a process that would be organized and generate income. If 50 percent of hunters do that wholeheartedly

B – What measures is the movement taking to be green? SF – We support everything and all efforts in that direction. We started with the collection and recycling of used batteries. We support various environmental parties and NGOs in their efforts. Environmental education is part of our political culture too. I think politicians can spread the green culture to their supporters. We as a party can create a dynamic and boost the movement. Most importantly environmental culture is essential. Showing people what we’ve done is important and encouraging. For instance, we set up a private one million cubic-meter dam in Lake Bnachii. The United Nations is referring to this as a model for the whole of the Middle East. B – What do you think of the environment in Lebanon? SF – I believe Lebanon’s environment lacks culture, lacks a media culture. Coverage in that regard is weak. There are some who give this issue

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Courtesy of Sleiman Franjieh

ample coverage. There are environmental organizations opposed to everything for instance. And there are some sides who are completely opposed to environmental organizations. I believe that we should strike a balance between the two. Organizations should not be radical, as that won’t work. We should be convinced that there are things we can’t prohibit. So I believe we should be pragmatists and use dialogue. The state should work on that while the media should help. For instance, some media outlets say they support this and that environmental party and yet they make a hero out of someone who shot a hyena. That makes no sense to me.

B – What is your vision for solving some local environmental problems? SF – The only way to reforest the country and for all these forestation campaigns to work is if the Environment Ministry does not intervene in the reforestation process. Basically, the municipalities should be paid a year after the trees have been planted, watered, and cultivated. 16

GROUND

What is happening now is that the trees are discarded after the municipalities are paid to plant them. This can be entrusted to municipalities or one person. I’ve applied this in the past when I was cabinet minister. There are some conscientious municipalities which would water the tress and there are others which might not. So a fraction of the planted trees will live and money will be wasted. As for water pollution, we need to install water treatment plants. The problem is the prevailing mentality that treated water cannot be reused for irrigation, for example. We need to install separate sewage pipes in towns to reuse different wastewater after it is treated. We also need a proper waste dump. But given the sociopolitical nature of Lebanon, there is no real decision in that regard. This should be studied properly so as not to cause an environmental catastrophe years from now. The state needs to do things properly and in an organized fashion for people to trust it. I also cannot stress enough how proper recycling and collection of paper and plastic can generate revenue. Environmental education is

essential too. The concerned ministries should play their part and people should be cultured in general. For instance, we used to ban people from cutting down trees here, and yet they continued to do so. Until we started planting trees and they started seeing the beauty of that, and they stopped. So, we need to know how to approach such issues. If you just ban people, some might just do it in defiance. If you show them the benefits of the opposite of what they are doing, they might cut it out.

B – Are you optimistic about the environmental situation in the world in general and in Lebanon? SF – I am optimistic because of the awareness and interest in the environment. There is in fact an environment “overdose”, which can be alarming but also deal with problems faster. I believe that in the coming years Lebanon will be on the right track environmentally. At the level of global warming, yes there is a problem but I believe it is exaggerated. They are making it sound that the world will come to an end in 50 years, which I don’t believe is the case.

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Courtesy of Sleiman Franjieh

Eco-religious World Environment tourismDay

Bring out the green confetti World Environment Day 2010 in the spotlight Words by Kristen Hope Burchill

e The globe celebrated World Environment Day (WED) on June 5 with somewhat more vigor this year, given the string of ecological issues at hand. Since its launch by the United Nations in 1973, governments, NGOs, and civil society all over the world have endeavored to mark this day to shed light on the importance of respecting and preserving the environment. As part of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, the theme for this year’s WED was “celebrating the diversity of life found on planet Earth”. Rwanda was chosen as the international host of the 2010 WED because of its rich biodiversity and the positive steps of its government to preserve it. In the Middle East, notable WED events and campaigns included a Cultural Environment Week launched in Bahrain by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) Regional Office for West Asia in collaboration with local associations, as well as an online campaign by the group Go Green, which is based in the United Arab Emirates. Jordan also joined regional voices to mark WED, with UN agencies pooling

GROUND

their efforts with the Environment Ministry to hand out free fabric and paper bags in order to encourage people to reduce their use of plastic bags. And Lebanon chimed in. This year, Greenpeace Mediterranean participated in an event organized by the Environment Ministry and the Association for Forests, Development, and Conservation (AFDC) to raise awareness about the environmental dangers caused by excessive use of plastic bags and the importance of using more sustainable options. The campaign involved distributing thousands of cloth bags to commercial centers, natural reserves, and NGOs throughout the country. At the local level, concerned citizens also decided to join hands to observe WED. Lebanese graphic designers, Nadine Feghaly and Dima Boulad, organized a series of artistic installations around the city – each one consisted of a small real square of grass accompanied by a sign reading “Enjoy your green space”. The installations aimed at making people aware of the dire lack of green spaces in Beirut, and how this can have unhealthy impacts on the city’s population. “This awareness campaign

Artistic installations by graphic designers Nadine Feghaly and Dima Boulad

was a first step to let people know that there is a problem that needs to be solved, and we all have to pressure the right people to take better urban decisions,” says Boulad. Although many campaigners in Lebanon will admit that there is a lot of progress to be made in raising the levels of environmental awareness in the country, the steps needed to achieve wider recognition of environmental issues have been determined. According to Raefah Makki, communications officer and supporter relations coordinator, Greenpeace Mediterranean, “The government should have proper environmental policies, which involve other sectors,

including education and media, while environmental groups and organizations should be more active in this field.” Such governmental efforts obviously need to be complemented by the involvement of engaged and dedicated citizens. “Coming up with creative ideas is not the hard part,” says Boulad. “The challenge is to gather funds, organize efforts, and execute action.” Despite these difficulties, Boulad is optimistic: “These days, more and more people are being more sensitive about the subject and we feel that there are people who are willing to make things happen, and change!”

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World Environment Day

Minister Rahal announces the Ministry’s latest plan

Shooting for a better climate Environment Ministry installs cameras along the mountain trail

iven that the planet is warming and that Lebanon is expected to experience hotter and drier days in the coming decades, the ministry is looking to ground-based photography to monitor landscape change as part of its environmental campaign. The idea is to obtain information from comparing pairs of photographs with the same field of view that span up to a century. A method that can effectively document landscape changes is repeat photography – the process of locating the position from which an existing photograph was taken, occupying that photo-point, and taking a new photograph to create a photo-pair of the same scene. It can also refer to two or more pictures taken from the same place with the same field of view, ideally with cameras possessing the same focal characteristics, but at different times, without the need to refer to an old photograph. According to the ministry, repeat photography can provide compelling qualitative information about the magnitude and type of longterm ecological and geological processes that would not otherwise be possible and have produced photo-pairs that are easily interpreted by a broad audience. When applied consistently – yearly or every other year – photo-point monitoring provides an effective visual tool for comparison of the landscape. The objective of this monitoring activity is to develop an understanding of variations in succession, which can aid in monitoring changes in landscape

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composition under evolving/changing climatic conditions (or other anthropogenic stresses) by selecting/establishing key locations to start a repeat photography monitoring campaign.

he Environment Ministry is installing cameras all along the Lebanese Mountain Trail, a 440-km path that extends from Qbaiyat in the north to Marjaayoun in the south. It will set up a camera per zone (26 stations). Each location will have a specific monitoring purpose. In general, the activity will monitor vegetation level, snow cover, water flow, and urban sprawl. The monitoring will take place four times a year and is also site specific. Photo-pairs will be stored at the ministry and will be made public on its Website. Phase one of this monitoring was launched in June from Baskinta in the Metn to monitor Mount Sannine for snow and vegetation cover as well as vegetation elevation level. This phase, in cooperation with LMT, is covering 13 stations (50 percent of the trail). The ministry is also boosting ecotourism through this move and is partnering with the Tourism Ministry. The trail is also widely used by ecotourism operators in the country. www.moe.gov.lb

Environment Ministry’s eco-friendly shopping bags

Lebanon gives plastic bags the sack Ministry proposes eco-friendly alternatives

ebanon’s Environment Ministry is cracking down on the use of plastic bag in line with its new and bold environmental campaign. To mark both World Environment Day and National Environment Week, Environment Minister Mohammad Rahal distributed some 50,000 eco-friendly shopping bags across the nation. Launched in cooperation with the Association for Forest Development and Conservation (AFDC) and the United Nations Information Center (UNIC), the campaign shuns nylon and plastic bags and embraces their greener, more sustainable next of kin – cloth bags.

ahal, accompanied by the head of the Parliamentary Environment Committee MP Marwan Hamadeh as well as AFDC officials and other activists and volunteers, marched up to

the country’s various supermarkets and shopping centers, and handed out fabric shopping bags. Rahal commented, “Plastic needs about 500 years to decompose and harms the fauna and flora,” calling for the use of more eco-friendly options. He added it was unacceptable that governments continue to turn a blind eye to environmental issues, as that could be detrimental to the Earth and its peoples.

or his part, Hamadeh said Lebanon is at war with a fierce enemy. “The main war Lebanon and the Lebanese are fighting a war to preserve the environment,” he was quoted as saying. Civil society and the Lebanese people are battling in preservation of the environment, he remarked, encouraging further attention and action to that end.

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Eco-centric initiatives

The reincarnation of the ringtone Nokia recycles old cell phones

obile telecommunications leader Nokia has answered a call for raising awareness on mobile recycling in Lebanon with the launch of its Take Back program. The initiative, which is in alliance with the Association for Forests, Development, and Conservation (AFDC) and under the auspices of the Environment Ministry, aims to raise environmental awareness and provide practical solutions for recycling of mobile phones and accessories in the country.

he idea is simple: By dropping off your old cellular phone at any Nokia Care or AFDC center across the nation, you and the whole of the Lebanese community will be chipping in to the conservation of the environment. Nokia stresses it utilizes state-of-the-art recycling technology to ensure that no devices are wasted in the process. “Up to 80 percent of a Nokia device can be recycled and precious materials within it can be reused to help make new products such as kitchen kettles, park benches, dental fillings, or even saxophones, and other

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Minister Rahal recycles his mobile phone

metal musical instruments,” it says. Plastics that cannot be recycled are burnt to provide energy for the recycling process, and other materials are ground up into chips and used as construction materials or for building roads, it adds.

okia and AFDC will also be running a series of sessions in companies and universities to further enlighten people on why, how, and where to recycle their unwanted devices, chargers, and mobile accessories. “It is clear from the surveys conducted by Nokia that when mobile devices finally reach the end of their lives that very few of them are recycled,” comments Haisam Jamal, general manager, Nokia Levant. “Many people are simply unaware that these old and unused mobiles lying around in drawers can be recycled or how to do this. Nokia is working hard to make that easier, providing more information and expanding our global Take Back programs.” He adds, “By working together, small individual actions could add up to make a big difference.”

For the record

License to THRILL

What it takes to obtain ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and what it means Source 3A Solutions Group

ou probably know that the environment is a major concern for the whole world. Concerned parties and private initiatives seek to alleviate the suffering of the Earth and deal with the bevy of challenges, which have been induced by humans. One way to inflict as little harm as possible on nature is through credited environmental certification. And a key solution to preserve our natural heritage is the ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management Systems (EMS).

You have been hearing the phrase “sustainable development” a lot lately. Well you are about to hear it again. Sustainable development is “development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It offers a long-term vision that integrates social, economic, and environmental needs – local and global – for both the short and long terms.

ISO 14001 The world’s first standard on EMS, BS 7750, was developed and published by the British Standard Institution (BSI) in 1992. This standard served as a model for the ISO 14000 series developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 14001, which sets the requirements for an EMS, was first published in 1996 and revised in 2004. Its benefits include: Increasing market opportunities, through facilitated free and open trade; improving production efficiency, through reduced raw material and energy consumption; boosting the image of the organization/ company; and enhancing compliance to legislation.

There are basically five steps for a successful EMS process: Commitment and environmental policy The commitment of top management through a well defined environmental policy is essential to EMS. The policy reflects the organization’s compliance with all environmental regulations.

3A Solutions Group is a consulting and training company based in Lebanon with international presence (France, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria). It provides management solutions including consulting: Environmental Management System ISO 14000,

Planning Planning your EMS means: Identifying all environmental aspects; selecting applicable legal requirements based on local environmental laws; identifying key objectives and targets; and establishing an environmental management program. Implementation and operation This step is about identifying all procedures that are critical from an environmental perspective so as to control and improve them. Inspection and corrective actions When needed, the organization should take corrective actions that ensure monitoring, measuring, and recording of characteristics and activities that have significant impact on the environment. Management review To ensure continual improvement of the organization’s EMS, top management should conduct regular reviews.

Quality Management System ISO 9001, Occupational Health and Safety OHSAH, Integrated Management System IMS, Excellence Models... In training: Communication skills, presentation skills, time management, problem solving, sales and negotiation

skills... A believer in respecting the Earth and its resources, 3A Solutions Group has recently signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the Lebanese Cleaner Production Center (LCPC).

Summer Summer skies skies 2010 2010

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politically correct

the italian job

The Mediterranean country scores green goals across Lebanon Photographs by Nada Karam

here are many things the Italians excel at that attempting to narrow them down is no easy feat. Milan is the uncontested fashion and design capital of the world. The best artists and craftsman in history were Italian nationals. The Italians, who happen to be outstanding footballers, also score high marks with their impeccable gastronomy, wine, and let us not forget, their cars. To our luck, they have refined their skills and know-how in the environment too and have been extending a firm hand to Lebanon in that department. Italy has been active in the environmental sector in Lebanon for a number of years, including major infrastructural projects, says H.E.

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the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Gabriele Checchia. Examples include the rehabilitation of a wastewater treatment plant in Byblos and the installation of two water stations in Majdel Anjar. Over the last few years, the embassy has also given a number of waste management and water management plants in the country a complete facelift. Meanwhile, the Italian contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has recently carried out two projects aimed at preserving and protecting Tyre’s historic vestiges. Their green projects encompass the whole of Lebanon. “We are open to sharing our expertise with our Lebanese partners wherever needed, from north

to south, and east to west,” Checchia adds. “Italy wants to support Lebanon as a whole; no region is a priority when it comes to us. Whenever we see a real need on the basis of input from the relevant Lebanese authorities, we are ready to examine them and decide accordingly,” he explains from his headquarters in Baabda. “There is continuity between different Italian governments when it comes to supporting Lebanon and the Lebanon we want to preserve. It goes back to 1996,” he continues. Italy’s envoy to Lebanon since 2006, Checchia has a sacred connection with nature. “I think I have a humanistic approach like many

environmental consciousness, which has been gradually emerging in Italy over the past 30 years. We feel it is not at its optimum level here. There is a dynamic underway, which we very much appreciate. There are some very active NGOs. So these active signals from society should be encouraged. We would also like to share with you our expertise. We don’t want to impose anything, but to grow together in conscious awareness of the problem. We don’t want to provide assistance but to help Lebanese institutions be self-reliant. We have very good cooperation underway with the current ministry of environment as with past ministries and we are in touch with all Lebanese institutions, which have a say in the environment.

Italians. We feel that the human being cannot be detached from his/her roots, and if we are we get weaker, as nature is the main provider in the field of positive energies. That is why we need to respect and protect nature, as it will provide us with what we need to go on living. We owe it to those who came before us as well as to those who will come after us.” Being athletic is all the more reason he appreciates nature. “I believe that nature is a way to enter a different mood and get in touch with the spiritual forces within you and above you.” Beyond sat down with the Italian envoy who kept us abreast of the Mediterranean nation’s vision and efforts towards our environment.

Beyond – Why have the Italians been so actively promoting the environment and the green wave in Lebanon? Gabriele Checchia – We are trying to create in Lebanon an

Our collaboration with institutions and civil society includes a number of local NGOs such as Arc En Ciel with whom we are trying to encourage young Lebanese from low income families to create through their activities renewable energy sources. We are working with Lebanese students in Al Fidar region on solar panels so that they can obtain the advanced Italian expertise in that regard. With Arc En Ciel and a number of other Lebanese and Italian NGOs we financed in Al Fidar a heated swimming pool for handicapped children. In that sense, we are adding to the technical expertise a training dimension to give young Lebanese access to the labor market – thus combining the social dimension with the technical energy-related one. Whenever you do this kind of cooperation, the human being should receive core attention. By improving the environmental ambiance, we help ourselves, as the Mediterranean is a huge lake, so whatever happens here has repercussions on Italy and elsewhere. We would like to give people the opportunity to improve their professional skills and be fonder of the environment, which may also be a source of revenue. For that reason, we

are also trying to promote ecotourism in different regions of Lebanon. One project underway is in Jabal Moussa and similar activities are in progress in the Shouf, South, and the Bekaa. We are also financing firefighting and reforestation activities in Akkar.

B – Please brief us about other environment-related efforts/ projects the embassy has carried out lately. GC – Looking around us, we realize that everything is a cycle and that everything can collapse if unpreserved. That is why we decided to donate, or actually I prefer to say share, research boats with the Lebanese partners, government, and universities for idiographic research and monitoring the Lebanese coast. So the Italian system – universities, government, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and NGOs – is working in a very coherent way in coordination with Lebanon to preserve the beautiful nature of Lebanon while preserving our own identity. One project underway is the protection and management of the Shouf Cedar Reserve, which started in 2009 over a two-year period. The 817,000 Euro ($1.033 million) initiative aims at preventing and combatting forest fires by strengthening the management/ promotional capacity of the Cedar Reserve in Lebanon. With the large participation of local communities and the support of several actors like the Italian Civil Protection and the Italian National Federation, the project is strengthening the capacity of the reserve to prevent forest fire risks and to protect its natural and cultural heritage. Another project is CANA-CNRS Environmental Monitoring and Sustainable Development of the Lebanese Sea, which was launched in 2008. Through a donation of the Italian government and Federpesca to the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), the 2.3

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million Euro ($2.9 million) project aims at providing the necessary tools to national research in order to study Lebanese coastline in various fields (fishery, pollution, hydrogeology, marine mammals, and communication). [Cana is the name of the scientific ship that will be dedicated to studying flora, fauna, and seismic activity off the Mediterranean coast].

B – What’s in the pipeline? GC – We will be working on several projects, including an integrated waste management project in Baalbeck, which is slated for takeoff in September.The one-year initiative, which will cost 2.5 million Euro ($3.16 million), will restore the actual dumpsite of Kayal and will support the Environment Ministry in the construction of a modern and safe sanitary landfill that will fit the higher environmental standards available. The project will provide as well all the technical assistance. It will give back to the country an important archeological site (Kayal) and will secure safety and health for the population of Baalbeck. Of other infrastructural projects I cite the rehabilitation of water treatment in Byblos, which will begin in the coming months. B – How much money has the embassy spent on ecological projects? GC – We have been trying to make the environmental impact a dimension of all our projects. It’s tough to give an exact figure given our involvement in so many sectors that are interconnected. A good estimate of what has been already allocated over the last years is 80-90 million Euros ($101-114), funds made available by the Italian government through the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on grant or soft loan basis. This money would address a number of issues: Wastewater systems, environmental protection, renewable energies and so on. 28

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B – Where do you feel you have helped the most? GC – It is very difficult to draw conclusions because most projects are underway. It may take some time for projects to reveal all their potential. No matter how much money has been pumped into every sector, I must stress that it is not just a matter of money, but which kind of dynamic you introduce in the country. We want to help encourage a positive dynamic which is already present in Lebanon, to help it surface and get the upper hand over other concerns making the Lebanese people less concerned with environmental issues because of other priorities. Now we bet on Lebanese abilities and institutional framework and the commitment of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and of Lebanese institutions in general to include the environmental factor in all activities. It was encouraging seeing the motivated and qualified Lebanese delegation, which participated in the Copenhagen summit [in December], confirming to us the concern and attention of Lebanese civil society towards environmental issues. This helps motivate us in our joint activities knowing that nothing may be achieved overnight.

B – What part of Lebanon’s environment requires the most attention in your opinion? GC – I think the status of the environment in Lebanon is very difficult and there is a lot to be done. I feel the water cycle is a major problem. Lebanon has a lot of water and is major natural resource and we would like to help you make the most of these natural resources in a number of projects so as to improve the water cycle and deal with the environmental implications of that issue. Pollution of rivers and lakes is really a phenomenon, which we must try to counter together. Italy has developed over the years a lot of expertise on how to best cope with this problem. An alarming signal coming to Lebanon is that of waste management. I feel there is an opportunity for excellent cooperation between us in that field. We are financing projects in Lebanon in this specific sector, for instance in the Bekaa and the South. These activities generate revenues, affect the living conditions of people in these areas, and play a stabilizing role in socioeconomic terms. This is why we would like to apply an integrated approach in whatever we do. www.ambbeirut.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Beirut

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Ecotourism

Leaving no stone unturned The ecotourism trail in Lebanon

Photography by Clement tannouri

Leaving no stone unturned

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Summer skies 2010

Photograph by clement tannouri

Courtesy of Cherine yazbeck Bosquin

Words by Kristen Hope Burchill

What’s in a word? Despite its status as a 21st century buzz word, in Lebanon there is still no clear consensus on what sorts of activities count as “ecotourism”. Many tour operators engaged in ecotourism offer a physical activity in a natural setting, such as hiking or trekking in summer or snow-shoeing in winter, combined with a cultural activity that enables the local community to share their heritage, often a traditional meal or an artistic craft. Moufarège considers the hiking trails themselves to be important bearers of culture. However, one dynamic member of Lebanon’s ecotourism community, Pascal Abdallah, has a more complex understanding of ecotourism. As well as being a tour guide with the company Responsible Mobilities, Abdallah is president of the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) Association, a consultant for rural development projects, and lecturer on the topic of responsible tourism in four universities.

At Orange House in Mansouri - near Naqoura

taking the ethical implications of the touristic encounter into consideration. Ecotourism grounds itself in a sense of responsibility towards the people and the environment of the area.

The popularity of ecotourism in Lebanon has increased in recent years. It provides an alternative to the mainstream travel experience by

“Tourism should not completely change the character or the face of where you are going,” says Michel Moufarège, founder of the first Lebanese ecotourism company Liban Trek in 1997. Considered by several peers to be the father of ecotourism in Lebanon, Moufarège says ecotourism is more than just a simple alignment of ecology with tourism. “Ecotourism means a respect of everything, of people, of the heritage, of nature, and of equilibrium in general.”

rom mythical springs nestled between looming mountains to majestic cedar trees, picturesque hilltop villages, and lush winding valleys, the ecological wealth and wellpreserved heritage that result from Lebanon’s unique topography have been the backbone of its history and identity for centuries. Today, while millions of tourists flock to Lebanon for its beaches, ski resorts and vibrant cultural life, the country’s age-old natural features and remote rural areas still constitute a focal point of interest.

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Like his colleagues, Abdallah defines ecotourism as a type of responsible tourism, which in turn is rooted in international norms of sustainable development such as the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Global Code of Ethics issued by the World Tourism Organization. However, he warns that in Lebanon there is a tendency to confuse ecotourism with rural tourism, which is another type of responsible tourism but instead of preserving nature its goal is to contribute to the development of villages that are becoming increasingly deserted. Hiking in natural areas does not, in and of itself, constitute ecotourism, says Abdallah. “It becomes ecotourism if you hike in a protected zone. As soon as you pay a fee you are contributing to a

Courtesy of Pascal Abdallah

A group of school children are taught to catch and identify butterflies, in the hope that the new generations will take an active role in preserving Lebanon‘s fragile biodiversity

Clients of ecotourism watch a demonstration of traditional pottery making in the village of Rashaya Al-Foukhar

management team that guarantees the preservation of nature by engaging the local community.” Abdallah believes than an effective management of natural areas would be to listen to local communities at stages of project development, from planning to implementation. He argues that this approach fulfils what he calls “the tripartite of sustainable development”: Preserving nature, engaging with culture, and yielding socioeconomic benefits. Accommodation is also an important part of the ecotourism experience. One component of the LMT project was to provide training and financial support to local families in order for them to open up and run guesthouses. When visiting a rural area, taking the opportunity to stay with a local family not only enhances visitors’ understanding of the vicinity, it also means that members of the community derive direct financial benefit from the tourism.

Courtesy of Pascal Abdallah

government sanctioned nature reserve is the Kadisha Valley.

An increasingly popular form of responsible accommodation in Lebanon is eco-lodges. “The principle of an ecolodge,” says tour operator Bou Median Sahili, “is that no foreign materials are used in the construction of the building”. Having trained as a civil engineer with a specialization in environmental construction, Bou Median runs an ecolodge on Jurud Hermel in the north of the country, which provides beds and meals for his clients after they have finished a long day’s hike on the mountain plateau. The Jurud Hermel is not yet a nature reserve, although one ecotourism company, Mada, is in the process of lobbying for it to be designated as such. Beautiful by nature Lebanon’s main ecotourism destinations are its nature reserves, the three largest of which are the protected cedar forests of the Shouf, Ehden, and Tannourine. Another popular region but not a

Yet not all areas of renowned natural beauty are jumping at the opportunity to undergo development through ecotourism. According to Moufarège, another popular destination, Jabal Moussa, has decided to charge high entrance fees to decrease the number of visitors. This, he believes, stems from the fact that general awareness levels about respecting nature are still low in Lebanon, which means that some visitors may unwittingly do more damage than good. A series of new developments in the sector are indicating that interest in ecotourism in Lebanon is continuing to grow. Next spring, Responsible Mobilities is offering a new type of activity, which Abdallah calls “voluntourism”. Such program will last for 12 days, eight to nine of which will be seeing the visitor working in a local development project, for example renovating a village school or redoing agricultural terraces. Increased demand for such services is also impacting the education sector. Starting fall, Al Manar University in Tripoli will offer a three-year bachelor’s degree in ecotourism, resulting in a qualification in the management of protected areas. Another area where several tour operators feel there is room for improvement is the level of governmental involvement in developing the sector. While many

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Courtesy of Cherine yazbeck Bosquin

appreciate the existing support from the Tourism Ministry, some believe that there is a need to reestablish more formal mechanisms to enable people to work together to enhance cooperation and planning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone involved in this sector should work together

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to further open up ecotourism in Lebanon. We need to set a plan for the future, and then we can continue to develop the industry,â&#x20AC;? notes Bou Median. Despite such hurdles, across the board those working in the field of ecotourism say that the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

prospects in Lebanon are bright. It is their honest commitment to responsible and ethical tourism that will contribute to furthering sustainable development and preserving nature, culture, and heritage in Lebanon.

A présent, alors que des millions de touristes se dirigent vers le Liban pour jouir de ses plages, ses stations de ski et sa vie culturelle dynamique joignant Est et Ouest, les vieux éléments naturels du pays et ses zones rurales reculées constituent toujours un point d’intérêt focal. Avec des fontaines mythiques nichées dans des montagnes lointaines, des cèdres majestueux, des villages pittoresques perchés en altitude, et des vallées verdoyantes et sinueuses, le Liban dispose d’une richesse écologique et d’un patrimoine bien conservé résultant d’une géographie unique, et qui ont fait la base de son histoire et son identité depuis des siècles. En fait, la popularité de l’écotourisme au Liban n’a cessé d’augmenter ces dernières années. Cette pratique offre une alternative à l’expérience ordinaire de voyage, en prenant les implications éthiques de la rencontre touristique en considération. Dans une époque où le voyage a été conquis par les affres du consommateurisme, et où de nombreuses destinations ont été réduites à de simples objets géographiques, l’écotourisme se distingue lui-même en s’accrochant à des normes plus profondes comme la responsabilité envers les gens et l’environnement de la région. ‫في حين يتوافد ماليين السوّاح اليوم‬ ‫إلى لبنان للتمتّع بشواطئه والتزلّج‬ ‫على جباله وإختبار الحياة الثقافية‬ ‫ التي تجمع بين الشرق‬،‫الحيوية فيه‬ ‫ ال تزال المالمح الطبيعية‬،‫والغرب‬ ‫القديمة العصر والمناطق الريفية‬ ّ .‫تشكل نقطة إهتمام محوريّة‬ ‫النائية‬ ‫ المزويّة‬،‫فبفضل ينابيعه األسطورية‬ ‫ وأشجار أرزه‬،‫في جبال تلوح في األفق‬ ‫الشامخة وقراه الجبلية الرائعة ووديانه‬ ‫ يتمتّع لبنان بثروة‬،‫الخصبة المتعرّجة‬ ّ ‫شكال العمو َد الفقري‬ ‫بيئية وتراث عريق‬ .‫لتاريخ البالد وهويتها على مدى القرون‬ ‫ كانت شعبية السياحة‬،‫في الواقع‬ ‫البيئية في لبنان على تزايد في‬ ً ‫ فهي تو ّفر بدي‬.‫السنوات األخيرة‬ ‫ال‬ ‫لتجربة السفر التقليدية من خالل‬ ‫أخذ المضامين األخالقية المتعلّقة‬ .‫بالنشاطات السياحية بعين اإلعتبار‬ ‫في عصر تم فيه تسخير السفر لمخاض‬ ‫اإلستهالكية وتحوّلت وجهات كثيرة‬ ‫ تميّز السياحة‬،‫إلى مجرّد سلع جغرافية‬ ‫البيئية نفسها عبر إعتماد الكثير من‬ ‫المسؤولية تجاه الناس والبيئة في‬ .‫المنطقة‬ Summer skies 2010

Ecotourism

Ecovillage...

the good old simple life Words by Hala Naffah Photographs courtesy of Ecovillage

little piece of heaven, a dreamy 100,000 meters in the heart of nature, Ecovillage is an example of what a peaceful, healthy life can be. It is stark evidence that nature can actually win over electrical devices and technology and provide human beings with all their needs. Yes, without the Blackberry!

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Ecovillage, an organically grown project launched by Karim alKhatib in 2004 in the Dmit Valley of Shouf, promotes educational ecotourism, organic agriculture, and healthy living. Visitors from all age brackets and backgrounds are hosted across seasons and engage in diverse activities, including fun, informative gatherings on organic

agriculture, renewable energy (from water) and natural gas (from animal and food wastes). Ecovillagers will also have their hands full with sports like hiking, rock climbing, swimming, and other activities such as painting, pottery, and bonfire evenings. Companies and organizations can also benefit from the expertise of

Ecovillage, since it can provides their staff with training on team building, stress management, and other skills. Khatib had entertained thoughts about the natural haven for years before he realized his dream. “My heart and the hearts of fellow environmentalists were filled with the idea of an eco village long before 2004,” Khatib points out. The founder’s Lebanese roots inspired him to launch the project since he had to adapt during the infamous civil war to several trying conditions, such as power cuts and turning to the land for food. It was then that he discovered the possibility of adopting a healthier lifestyle.

Shouf was Khatib’s choice of location since he was on the lookout for an ecologically clean area that has ample water supply all the while being close to Beirut. As the project took off, volunteers from all over the world would flock to Ecovillage to offer assistance – reaching 56 a year, he says. “We also have 12 employees who are permanent residents in the village,” he adds. The village hosts around 2,000 students and welcomes 10,000 to 15,000 regular visitors per annum. “Every person who steps into Ecovillage develops some kind of awareness. However, I don’t think we are spreading enough of it,” says Khatib on how much he is contributing to the environment. More funding or perhaps bank sponsorship will boost the village’s efforts to have more of an influence on the environment, he opines. Unabated by the obstacles, Khatib is marching forward. “We are building a farm on a new land to produce natural gas.” His team is in the process of preparing a culture to plant

micro algae called Spiruline, which has myriads of medicinal benefits including curing cancer. “We are planning to become 100 percent self-sufficient,” Khatib notes. “We also want to be able to host more visitors per day and involve more people in the dream we are living.” Khatib has also been keeping busy with a project of a similar nature but in France, where he is working with several partners, lamenting that the French state is backing the project while Lebanon does not. “The French state requires electricity companies to buy electricity from us,” Khatib explains, noting that banks provided them with loans without interest. “In France, the project has continuity and receives significant appreciation from the state unlike Lebanon.” So now that we know that green havens are possible to create in Lebanon, we can’t help but ask why such a project thrives and is appreciated more abroad than at home! www.ecovillage.com

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field day

Entrenched in the environmental front The army joins the green race

hielding the country against foreign and domestic enemies is a role central to all national armies around the world. But what makes the Lebanese army stand out is its involvement in social and environmental activities. The Rangers Regiment has been organizing green sporting events in the mountains of Lebanon. The Laqlouq Barracks was the starting point of one race, which ended in the Cedars Barracks. A more recent race launched from the peaks of Tannourine and all the way to Bcharre. Army officers and civilians competed against each other by hiking in a setting that speaks volumes of Lebanon’s natural riches. Some 750 individuals of different nationalities and all occupations took part in the event, 38

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which consisted of skiing, running, and racketing over the snow. The army says it wants such activities to be a “unilateral communication with Lebanese and foreign civilians” so as to showcase the diverse roles it plays towards its country and its people. Brigadier General Chamel Roukoz says such hikes aim to encourage sports activities and a competitive spirit between civilians and the Rangers Regiment while familiarizing civilians with the regiment and exploring the beauty of Lebanon’s landscapes and mountain tops. Other objectives behind such army races include preserving the natural beauty of Lebanon and protecting the endemic trees – many of which are unique to the nation such as the cedars. During the Tannourine

to Bcharre hike, participants were handed cedar trees, which were planted along the racetrack. The Barracks to Barracks (B2B) races was in fact conceived by a handful number of civilians who liked to hike the rocky hills and mountain peaks of Lebanon to get to know the country and become closer to the land. The idea was well received by the Rangers Regiment and the first race would see the light in less than a month since it was first proposed. The move is undoubtedly a commendable one, as such events show participants’ love for their country while honoring the sacrifices of the army and safeguarding the beauty of Lebanon. www.lebarmy.gov.lb

Natural wealth

Grottos in Nabay

Nabay says ‘no’ Words by Hala Naffah

4,650 meters long,” Atallah explained. But the former Municipality of Nabay approved of quarries in the area, and the digging would continue for close to three years, destroying the entrance of the Grotto, according to Atallah. “Work was suspended in 2009 after three opposing members of the previous municipality along with the residents of Nabay filed several complaints to the Environment Ministry.”

“Quarries destroyed the Bellaneh Grotto in the 1970s. However, two of its branches appeared later on – the Bear Grotto, which reaches 650 meters in length and 53 meters in height, and the Quarries Grotto, which is up

Meanwhile, two other 100-meter caves were discovered in the neighboring Bsalim. “They are an underground heaven,” Atallah said of the caves. However, the grottos were not receiving the appropriate attention from the state, he stressed. But the residents of Nabay would not raise a white flag yet, as they petitioned for Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud to look into the issue. Luckily, the ministry commissioned a delegation to conduct studies on the caves and issue a report on them. “We plan on exposing the grottos so that they become as popular as Jeita,” Atallah revealed.

The grottos that would not go gently into that good night his is a rare, inspirational story of an ancient grotto, which was doomed to be razed by quarries, but was instead saved by confrontation and perseverance. Nestled in the Metn in Mount Lebanon, the village of Nabay discovered it had a natural grotto some 60 years back. “The original cave, which was known as the Bellaneh Grotto, was discovered in the 1940s while some residents and a foreign delegation were excavating ruins in the village,” said Dori Atallah, a member of the Municipality of Nabay. The delegation found a 35,000-year-old human skeleton inside the cave, he added.

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Photographs by Nada Karam

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A walk on the wild side

Watch them roar Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Year of the Tiger. But whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebrating? Photographer Michel Zoghzoghi earns his stripes for venturing to India for a brush with the man-eater beauties. www.mz-images.com

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The Chinese lunar calendar moved in February into the Year of the Tiger. However, given that this wild cat is one of the Earth’s fastest disappearing species, this is not exactly a cause for celebration. An estimated 3,200 to 2,500 tigers are left in the wild today, three subspecies of which have been driven to extinction in the past century. Originally, there were nine subspecies of the tiger. The six remaining tiger species – Amur (Siberian), Malayan, South China, Indo-Chinese, Royal Bengal, and Sumatran – all have uncertain futures. Some wildlife conservationists say the endangered tiger’s habitat and numbers have been reduced by up to 95 percent. They are basically vanishing from the wild because of habitat loss, poaching, and population fragmentation – all of which are man-induced. There is hope yet, as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is trying to double the number of wild tigers by 2022 – the next Year of the Tiger.

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When Giants Weep Commercial whaling resurfaces after 25 years

Words by Amer El-Haddad

he International Whaling Commission (IWC) released in April a draft proposal that aims to once again allow limited legal whaling in a move it believes would grant it more control over the practice. By doing so, the 88-member state IWC would have lifted a ban on whale hunting that has been in place for the past 25 years. The draft, which was debated at the commission’s annual meeting in Morocco in June, was largely condemned by conservation groups and environmentalists the world over. Fortunately, on June 24 IWC rejected the commercial whaling bid. The defeat of the move to overturn the ban was a victory for anti-whaling nations. Australia and Latin American nations argued the plan was “flawed and dangerous”. The proposal, which aimed at replacing the ban with strict quotas, would have allowed IWC to strictly monitor all whaling activities, the commission argues. It was an attempted “compromise between whaling nations and those which have long been resolutely opposed to whaling,” such as Australia and the United States, IWC claims. The proposition would have allowed Japan, Norway, and Iceland to resume legal whaling over the next 10 years, but at lower catch quotas than their current, self-imposed limits. This would save the lives of 4,000 to 17,000 whales in the next decade, IWC explains. Commercial whaling was banned globally in 1986. However, nations like Japan, Norway, and Iceland continued to hunt under various exemptions, collectively killing over 2,000 whales each year. Critics say whaling nations use loopholes in the moratorium to kill thousands of the giant marine mammals.

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In defense, these nations argue that whale hunting is a part of their culture and should be permitted.

Catch me if you can Avaaz, one of the active organizations that led the fight against the proposal, says the three nations have carried on with whale hunting, ignoring the global ban or claiming their hunting expeditions were for “scientific research”. “Now they could be rewarded by this compromise proposal, in which their commercial whaling would be made legal in exchange for unenforceable promises to slowly reduce their yearly catch,” Avaaz Executive Director, Ricken Patel, remarks. “Worse still, a number of other countries are watching the process closely in hopes of launching their own whaling programs. If Japan, Norway, and Iceland can hunt whales and sell their meat, others will ask: ‘If them, why not us”?” Other groups similarly snubbed the proposal, which they say would lead to an eventual return to the large-scale whaling practiced in the past, which devastated many species. “The fact that this proposal is even being discussed shows just how far out of touch the IWC is with modern values,” said Claire Bass, manager of the Marine Mammal Program at the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). “It is entirely missing the point that blasting conscious animals with exploding harpoons is grossly inhumane.” Patrick Ramage, of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, adds, “Whaling is an out-moded industry with no real future in the 21st century. And for that reason this compromise effort would kind of throw a lifeline to a dying industry.”

those gaps; there is an absence of political will to compromise. This is a matter of regret but it’s a fact.” Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett comments, “I don’t think it was a question of political will at all here, it was a question of the substance of the compromise that was in front of us.” He adds, “It’s very clear that there were a number of countries, not only Australia, that could not and would not accept the substance of that compromise.” The bid is still on the table and may be revived at next year’s IWC meeting.

Illustration courtesy Avaaz www.avaaz.org

On the other hand, the pro-whaling nations argue that the aim of completely banning whaling is unrealistic, and that a major down-scaling, combined with bringing it under international oversight, is a worthwhile compromise. New Zealand backed the plan, but was unable to convince others in the anti-whaling camp to follow suit. “The gaps cannot at this time be bridged and the reason for that I think is obvious enough,” New Zealand’s commissioner Sir Geoffrey Palmer says. “There is an absence of political will to change sufficiently to bridge

fauna and flora

The seal of death Photographs by Michel Zoghzoghi www.mz-images.com

umans have justified the killings of other humans in the name of religion over the centuries and are now justifying the massacring of animals in the name of alleviating human suffering! The falsity of such a justification is too obvious to ignore and yet nothing is being done to cease such activities that claim over 85,000 cape fur seal pups annually. Battered on the head with clubs and stabbed in the heart, traumatized pups vomit up their mothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; milk. The bulls are shot before having their genitals chopped off. This is nothing short of a massacre that goes uninterrupted for 140

days beginning July along the coast of Namibia in Africa. And it is all being committed in the name of providing work for 120 unemployed workers living in shacks near the seal colony. The government could surely find viable and non-violent alternatives to those unemployed few. Similar mass slaughtering takes place in South Africa too. To assist in the process of halting this slaughter, please sign the petition by logging on to â&#x20AC;&#x153;http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-the-capefur-sealsâ&#x20AC;? or http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-the-cape-fur-seals

Cape Fur Seals resting on Seal Island, South Africa

Cape Fur Seals and various seabirds on Seal Island, South Africa

Hunting in lebanon

Time to clip the wings of unruly hunters Source Nizar Hani, protected areas expert and scientific coordinator at Shouf Biosphere Reserve Photographs courtesy of Shouf Biosphere Reserve

t is early Sunday morning in the one of the steep mountains of Lebanon. Deafening, uninterrupted gunfire awakes a man from his deep sleep. No, this is not an episode of the Lebanese war. He realizes that as thousands of birds fall out of the sky. It is just the hunters at it again. Particularly hard hit by this hunting frenzy at the end of every October is the Bekaa Valley, which hunters by the thousands mob, producing a deafening racket throughout the day, after which they clog up the Damascus Highway with their cars, which are loaded with thousands of dead birds of all kinds. Faisal Abu-Izzeddin, a protected areas and biodiversity expert living in the village of Abadieh in the heart of a breathtaking pine forest, says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have worked all my life to build this house in my village. Unfortunately, during the hunting season neither my family nor I can sleep beyond daybreak because of the continuous gunfire.â&#x20AC;? Abu-Izzeddin always finds himself asking hunters not to shoot birds on his pri-

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Summer skies 2010

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vate land. “Sometimes they fire in the air just to anger me,” he adds. Feathered friends Lebanon lies along a major flyway for birds migrating between Europe and northern Asia, and Africa. Because of the open expanses of the Mediterranean Sea, birds flying south from Europe veer east and follow land so that they can rest on the way, taking them over the Eastern Mediterranean countries, including Lebanon. Birds

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that breed in Eastern Europe and Western Asia travel each autumn to their African wintering grounds and back again each spring. Millions of birds of over 260 different species make the journey twice a year. Some 390 bird species, including 260 migratory species, were identified in Lebanon in a 1992 study by Ghassan Jaradi, a Lebanese University ecology and taxonomy professor who updated his findings in 2008. The country offers diverse habitats for the

birds: The Bekaa valley, the mountains, semi-arid regions, rivers, and the Mediterranean coast. Most of Eastern Europe’s population of White Storks passes through Lebanon each spring, numbering about 500,000 birds. Birds as small as the Chiffchaff that weighs just few grams migrate trough Lebanon. The Syrian Serin is a very special bird for Lebanon as the country holds the world’s largest population of this mountain bird, as well as the Chukar, which is a

common resident breeding bird in the rocky highlands and cedar forests. Some 20 areas have been designated as Important Bird Areas (IBAs) by Bird Life International through its national partner in Lebanon the Society for Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), including the Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, Palm Islands Nature Reserve in the north, and the sandy beach of the Tyre Coast Nature Reserve in the south. However, en-

vironmentalists say though these regions have been declared “safe areas” they are flooded with hunters. A study carried out by SPNL between 2004 and 2007 found that only 18 percent of hunters were able to distinguish between resident and migratory birds. The majority could not identify a rare species. “In the space of five years, the number of common birds decreased by 18 percent according to a study that we conducted

from 2002 to 2007, whereas the figure was previously at nine percent” over a similar timeframe, Jaradi says. 200 birds in one stone Hunting methods in Lebanon are considered scandalous. “They install an artificial chirping device on a tree or shrub at night,” explains Jaradi. “Attracted to the sound, birds gather in the morning when the hunters arrive by

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the dozens and they kill them all.” And while nature lovers are crying foul over the killing of the migratory population, they also warn that local species face similar dangers. “Some hunters don’t comprehend the principle of sustainable hunting and do not understand that killing many common birds will make them uncommon, rare, and then endangered,” Jaradi continues. Lebanon is too small to accommodate the vast number of hunters. We can only hope that in the coming years, many people will have given up unregulated hunting (just like giving up other local bad habits such as smoking) and that an emerging generation will have learned to grow up without hunting. After the ban is lifted, hunting will be strictly regulated. Environmentalists believe it should remain banned in practically the entire western slope of Mount Lebanon because of the high population density. The remaining open spaces of Lebanon are too valuable a resource that can be better put to use for hiking and other outdoor recreation, and would make up excellent nature and wildlife reserves. This is the case of the 500-square-kilometer nature reserve in the Shouf, Shouf Biosphere Reserve, where hunting will remain forbidden even after the ban is lifted elsewhere. These beautiful winged things can also benefit the country’s ecotourism industry. People pay thousands of dollars to visit the jungles of Costa Rica, a model country

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for ecotourism. No doubt Lebanon has a large number of species of birds that would be hard to find elsewhere in such a small area. This makes the country a potential destination for a new kind of tourist. Bird watchers tend to be educated and with high incomes. Besides watching birds and hiking in the mountains, they will be interested in learning about the culture of the country. By being the target of a camera or pair of binoculars, a single bird will benefit the economy several times over in comparison to shooting it with a gun.

A cause des grands espaces ouverts au-dessus de la mer Méditerranée, les oiseaux migrant de l’Europe vers le Sud tournent vers l’Est en suivant les terres afin de se reposer, et arrivent dans les pays de la Méditerranée orientale, y compris le Liban. Quelques 20 zones ont été désignées comme Zones Importantes pour la Conservation des Oiseaux (ZICO) au Liban. Mais les écologistes assertent que ces régions, déclarées “zones de sécurité”, restent abondamment fréquentées par les chasseurs. Alors que les passionnés de nature crient au scandale face au massacre de la population migratoire, ils avertissent également que les espèces locales sont sujettes à des dangers similaires. Les écologistes exigent que la chasse reste interdite dans toute la pente occidentale du Mont-Liban en raison de la forte densité de population là-bas. Les autres espaces ouverts du Liban, disent-ils, offrent une ressource très précieuse. Ils pourraient être mieux mis à profit pour la randonnée et autres activités de plein air, et constitueraient d’excellentes réserves naturelles riches en faune et flore. Le Liban dispose d’un grand nombre d’espèces d’oiseaux qui seraient difficiles à trouver ailleurs dans un si petit espace. Cela rend le pays une destination potentielle pour un nouveau type d’écotouristes, les ornithologues amateurs. ‫بسبب المساحات المفتوحة الواسعة‬ ‫ تقوم الطيور‬،‫فوق البحر األبيض المتوسط‬ ‫المهاجرة من أوروبا نحو الجنوب بتحويل‬ ‫مسارِها شرق ًا على طول األراضي لكي‬ ‫ فتصل إلى بلدان الحوض الشرقي‬،‫ترتاح‬ .‫ بما فيها لبنان‬،‫للمتوسط‬ ‫ منطقة في لبنان‬20 ‫تم تصنيف حوالي‬ ‫على أنها مناطق هامة للحفاظ على‬ ‫ ولكن دعاة حماية البيئة يؤكدون‬،‫الطيور‬ ‫أنه بالرغم من إعالنها «مناطق آمنة» ال يزال‬ ‫الصيادون يترددون إليها بكثافة‬. ‫وفي حين ينتقد هؤالء بشدّة عملية قتل‬ ‫ يحذرون أيض ًا أن األنواع‬،‫الطيور المهاجرة‬ .‫المحلية معر ّضة لمخاطر مماثلة‬ ‫يشدّد المدافعون عن البيئة على ضرورة‬ ‫بقاء الصيد ممنوع ًا في المنحدر الغربي‬ ‫لجبل لبنان بسبب الكثافة العالية للسكان‬ ‫ ويؤكدون أن المساحات المفتوحة‬.‫هناك‬ ّ ‫تشكل مورد ًا قيم ًا للغاية‬ ‫األخرى في لبنان‬ ‫إذ يمكن تخصيصها لرحالت المشي‬ ‫الطويلة في الطبيعة وغيرها من أنشطة‬ ‫ كما يمكن جعلها محميات‬.‫الهواء الطلق‬ .‫ غنية بالحيوانات والنباتات‬،‫طبيعية مميّزة‬ ‫يملك لبنان عدد كبير من أنواع الطيور التي‬ ‫من الصعب العثور عليها في أي مكان آخر‬ ‫ مما يجعل‬،‫في مثل هذه المساحة الصغيرة‬ ‫منه وجهة محتملة لنوع جديد من السواح‬ .‫البيئيين كمراقبي الطيور‬

Hunting: A sustainable solution to preserve nature Words by Wael Hmaidan, Executive Director, IndyACT

n Lebanon, there are two camps constantly bickering over almost every issue under the sun, and bird hunting is no exception. There is the group that addresses it from the angle of animal rights, arguing that birds are “small, cute, and colorful animals and should not be killed”. The other lot approaches it in terms of “preserving nature and biodiversity in the country”. It is important to establish early on that the main threat to birds in Lebanon is not hunting. Yes, it is a big part of the problem, as it is not regulated, but the main reason why the number of birds (and other animals) is decreasing is loss of natural habitat. Lebanon has few random wild areas. In every corner of Lebanon, roads are being paved, buildings are being erected, and trees are being cut. You cannot just get lost in nature here. There is no space in the country to walk on for over two hours without running into some kind of human development. So if we really want to save biodiversity and birds, we need to have a proper urban planning strategy. Birds and animals are very sensitive to human interference. They require a peaceful environment to be able to breed and raise their young. Of course, hunting is also a source of disturbance, which pushes many birds to find other

countries to nest in. Nevertheless, if hunting were regulated properly it could actually help preserve biodiversity. To begin with, hunting can help regulate competition between species over the limited natural habitat. When fewer natural areas exist, competition between the different bird species will increase. And usually one or two dominant species will thrive, while other species will go extinct (in Lebanon at least). Hunting can be regulated to focus only on dominant bird species, allowing other species to survive. Also hunting can help reduce the use of avicides (pesticides to control the pest birds that eat crops) and other pesticides. Selective hunting can keep birds that eat crops away, simultaneously giving beneficial birds that eat harmful insects more chance to survive. This would reduce the need for chemical pesticides in farming that is heavily polluting our water and food. Hunting could also generate income to the government through hunting permits. This money could be used for preserving natural areas. One very important indirect benefit of hunting not be underestimated is that it can augment the sense of nature appreciation. I have been an environmental activist for over 15 years. I believe my love for nature has originated from the fact that I used to be a hunter when I was young and living in a village. I know many other environmentalists who also used to hunt. On a final note, I would like to say that the challenge remains how to implement an effective hunting law in Lebanon.

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Guns and roses

Shooting for the soul Talking to hunting top gun Fouad Nassif

hat is the first image that pops to your mind when you hear the word “hunter”? The conventional hunter stereotype is that he is a pot-bellied slob with a lot of free time on his hands. He enjoys breaks hunting laws, fires guns recklessly, is uninterested in conservation and wildlife, and likes torturing animals. Whether we like to admit it or not, the “hunter myth” lives on. While some hunters might fit that profile, most of them are anything but the above. Putting that stereotype to shame is Fouad Nassif, a renowned name in the hunting world. A sportsman who has been hunting since the age of six, Nassif has in Ana in the Bekaa Valley a hunting and animal breeding domain that aims to keep wildlife in their natural habitat. On this land, he has released and has been raising scores of mountain gazelles, ibexes, partridges, and rabbits, among other animals. “This is the only place in Lebanon where you can find extinct species,” Nassif says. “When I bred and raised gazelles, for instance, people asked what’s in it for me. When I said nothing, they didn’t believe me,” he remarks. On that one-million-meter land and its environs, he has also planted hundreds of trees to date, including the majestic cedar. This year alone he cultivated 760 cedar trees. On that swathe, he has been busy working on introducing a colossal natural lake with underground water too. It was former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri who provided Nassif with

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the Ana terrain back in 2000. “I am grateful to late PM Hariri who gave me the land. He was a great man. Nobody would’ve done what he’s done,” Nassif stresses. Another political heavyweight he credits is lawmaker Sleiman Franjieh. “MP Franjieh gave me the trees to plant the land as well as the animals to release there.” He continues: “Even though the two men had their political differences, this was not reflected on the environmental level. Franjieh was planting trees and sending animals to Hariri’s land.” A member of the Higher Hunting Council, he has written a guide on hunting and actively worked on drawing up hunting law No.580 – issued in 2004 to regulate hunting practices and to integrate sustainable hunting in Lebanon. Nassif has been biting the bullet for so long to give the hunting situation in the country a reshuffle. His fight is far from over. Beyond has a heart-toheart with Nassif.

Beyond – What do you make of the status of hunting in Lebanon? Fouad Nassif – The hunting situation in Lebanon now is schizophrenic. Hunting is forbidden, but everybody is doing it. Through ecological groups, the European Union is exerting pressure on the Lebanese government so as to keep hunting forbidden because some of these associations are taking money from the European community in order to keep hunting forbidden. So they tell them we have stopped hunting in Lebanon in exchange for money

– money that is used under the wide banner of studies, bird watching… In the meantime, everybody is hunting. The result is disastrous to nature. People are breaking the law and there are many hunters who are unaware of the law. And there are those shooting extinct species whom nobody is punishing because we cannot apply the law. When you don’t apply the law, you cannot protect hunters or the animals.

B – What about the law and the booklet you were assigned to prepare? FN – As per the new hunting law (no. 580) in order to be a hunter, one has to sit for an exam, which covers the clauses of the law, how to use guns, laws for possessing, carrying, and using guns, and where and when to hunt what. It also covers extinct species and the number of animals of this or that species a hunter is allowed to shoot. To take that exam and obtain a license, you need to see the information in a book to study for it. Such books exist in all countries, particularly in Europe and the United States, but not Lebanon. If you do not provide hunters with a book, how would they know what to and not to hunt? How will the hunter know the penalties for violating the law if you don’t show him/her the clauses of the law? I personally worked on the law. Despite the changes made to its context, it was passed in parliament and we worked with the

former environment ministry to push it through and I was assigned to prepare a booklet for hunters. I worked on it for six months. It is completed but yet to be published. I await the authorization of the current environment ministry to publish it. After the new government was sworn in, I met with Environment Minister Mohammad Rahal and he promised me he would study the hunting situation and get back to me, and I’m still waiting. If hunters don’t do exams, they cannot obtain a license and everybody will hunt unlawfully. We also won’t take money from them because they don’t have the license. This money can be used to plant trees 66

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or release rare animals in nature, to benefit the environment … Ecologists are against this book because then we can do exams, and then hunting would be permitted, which they don’t want. They want hunting to stay as it is so as to keep saying that Lebanese hunters are bad and are killers and that they are violating the law, while maybe 10 percent are violating the law and the rest are not.

B – So some environmentalists are not helping? FN – I have repeatedly talked to environmentalists and NGOs. You see, the global environmental wave started in the early 70s and at that time Lebanon was at war. So we

are 40 years behind ecologists in the West. In the meantime, hunters and environmentalists clashed. Hunters wanted to retain some of their rights while ecologists did not want hunters to hunt. They fought for thirty years. In 2000, they reached an understanding. France wrote a book about the common understanding between environmentalists and hunters after a 30-year struggle. I told environmentalists here instead of fighting, let’s take the common ground reached by ecologists and hunters in Europe and start from there. I suggested adapting what they do there to Lebanon in line with Lebanese specificity and traditions. The problem is that we are dealing with ignorance. Most environ-

mentalists here spend their time talking in salons or making public speeches. They don’t know much about nature. For instance, they plant cedar trees but they don’t know that if these trees are not watered every three days, they will die. I installed a special irrigation system for the trees I planted, for instance. I do regular analysis of the land and supply the trees’ needs such as vitamins and minerals. This is the way it should be – not just going on TV and planting a tree and then the tree dies because it is untaken care of. So they take pictures and show them to the West in exchange for money. It’s a big business.

B – We sense a lot of disappointment in your voice. FN – Indeed, I’m very disappointed with what is going on. I’ve been working on changing the hunting situation since 1994. We are always fought and hindered by people whose job is only to destroy. For instance, we had a plan to reintroduce the ibex to the Barouk and we wanted to reach a population of 200-300 ibexes in the Barouq Nature Reserve. When environmentalists knew about the project, they blocked it. They told Western countries we were getting the ibex from that we are hunters and we will kill the animals. When I learned about this, I talked to these ecologists. They didn’t even know what they were doing. I invited them to the reserve to see what we are doing. They felt bad. B – Let’s touch on the advantages of hunting. FN – Let’s say the wild boar population in Lebanon grew a lot; it would then harm the agriculture. So you have to reduce the population. With the exception of some wolves, wild boars don’t have predators here. So hunters will reduce their population. The stray dogs, cats, foxes, and jackals are another very big problem in Leba-

non. Foxes and jackals normally multiply based on how much they eat. If there are many partridges, foxes and jackals will feed on the partridges and will procreate heavily. This would reduce the partridge population. When there are few partridges, foxes and jackals will not have enough food and will thus have fewer babies. This will permit the partridge population to grow again and nature reaches a certain balance. However, because we throw our wastes in nature, foxes and jackals that do not catch partridges eat from wastes, so they reproduce. Hence, we are having a large population of foxes and jackals that are eating everything in nature. For that reason, we don’t have any rabbits anymore and only few hares and partridges. The only predator for foxes and jackals is the hunter. We reduce the population, permitting other species to develop. The hunter is part of the equilibrium. Man has always been a hunter and is part of the equilibrium. We cannot live without birds and animals, but if we have too many of those, that’s not good either because they will eat everything.

B – If you had the choice to save an endangered species, what would that be? FN – It is difficult to choose an animal. I might want to save one animal in one country but not in another. I would save the species that are very important for the equilibrium. You will always have species going extinct and others appearing. My barber in Paris would constantly tell me the rhinoceros is going extinct. I once asked him if he has ever seen a rhino and what it matters to him whether the rhino is there or not! I don’t wish to see the rhino disappear of course. However, the disappearance of certain animals can have a crushing effect on the ecosystem and that is what

immediately concerns me. A big fuss is always being made about this or that species going extinct. So what? Let it be extinct. But if they tell me the striped hyenas are going to be extinct in Lebanon, we have a serious problem because the striped hyenas do not harm people. They clean nature by eating the sick or wounded animals without getting sick themselves. This is important for the ecosystem. If you tell me the black panda is endangered, I’d say it’s cute but we can carry on without it. What does it do other than eat and sleep all day! I’m all for keeping the black panda, but we should be more concerned about what’s happening here that is directly affecting us. All extremes are bad – having too many animals is bad, and having few animals is bad. Hence, we have what we call equilibrium. What Environment Minister Mohammad Rahal says! The Higher Hunting Council convened 17 times under former Environment Minister Tony Karam between 2008 and 2009, during which the council discussed various draft bills for the management of hunting in Lebanon. This includes the draft awareness booklet (manual) for hunters to be used by those trying to acquire an official hunting license. This draft booklet was submitted to council members to get their feedback and for council’s final approval.

However, some members did not submit their feedback in time, causing a delay. And so the council could not agree on publishing this particular manual in an urgent timely manner. In July 2009, the council’s mandate ended, and a new government came to office. In reference to the Hunting Law no. 580, new Environment Minister Mohammad Rahal sent an official request to all ministries for nomination of new members in the Higher Hunting Council to continue what was started before. The above justifies that the state was not hindering the issuance of the new manual for hunters, but the transitory period in the country and the government stalled the acceleration of this activity, knowing that the material is ready for its final approval upon appointment of the new council.

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take a dive

Plenty of fish in the sea? Not in the east Mediterranean! Overfishing milks our seas dry Words by Marcos Hado Illustration by Fouad Doughan

he destructive effects of illegal fishing on the marine ecosystem are so conspicuous in the Mediterranean Sea. For the past twenty years, very little attention has been paid to the negative impacts of Mediterranean fisheries until recent governments and organizations started taking some action. The diversity and economic importance of traditional gears in small-scale fisheries are essential features of Mediterranean fishing. In fact, the range of gears makes it difficult to reach any general conclusions about the impact of these small-scale practices on the ecosystem. The environmental sector has always concentrated its studies on reducing and controlling pollution, while the fisheries sector has focused on sustaining and developing the current fishery industry. This is done by improving the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources, relying on technological advances to reach further and deeper into the oceans. In addition, overfishing is a central problem underlying many other issues. There are ample reports on how intensive fishing exacerbates interactions between vulnerable groups and

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fisheries. Moreover, other factors such as climate change are further aggravating the situation and increasing the susceptibility of marine biodiversity to all-out collapse in the coming years.

more jeopardy than ever with no comprehensive legal or administrative structure yet in place to address such issues.

The way we protect and manage a given ecosystem determines its level of resilience. First, the interrelation between various systems is strictly essential for species to migrate and adapt to new conditions. Second, running marine resources efficiently leads not only to more resilient and diverse ecosystems that reduce the risks of natural disasters but also to diverse sources of income while providing greater benefits to the marine ecology. The latter is generated from tourism and recreation or from the development and marketing of local products.

It thus follows that a reductionist approach alone may not prove sufficient to properly tackle the issue of the conservation of Mediterranean ecosystems and their biological diversity. Furthermore, conservation policies targeting vulnerable species or habitats should not be separated from fishery management strategies, given that they share the same goal. The development and enforcement of integrated precautionary procedures is extremely necessary. Nevertheless, more individual and governmental efforts are still needed in order to increase awareness about our marine biodiversity.

It is time for us to focus on the marine environment by adopting efficient management approaches that can ensure the sustainable use of our global marine resources in an integrated manner. We also need to adopt stringent measures to defend marine biodiversity against detrimental factors such gears and overfishing. This is because marine biodiversity in areas beyond jurisdiction is in

By presenting a simplified biocycle of the stages of all marine life and the food chain, we can determine the damages illegal fishing and overfishing do to the whole ecosystem and how they disrupt the process for recovery. It is essential that we guard our oceanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biodiversity, as our existence directly depends on how we guard the environment for the continuity of our blue planet.

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Under the sea

Where to swim in Lebanon? Words by Bassam Kantar, Illustration by Rena Karanouh

Under the sea

t was interesting to hear Environment Minister Mohammad Rahal announce at a function in honor of media professionals on the occasion of the National Environment Week that he had advised his wife not to go to the beach in Lebanon because it was contaminated. After sharing this anecdote with the audience, the minister let out a brief laugh, denying he was using sea pollution as an excuse to stop his wife from taking to the beautiful and tempting beaches of the nation. The minister’s banter aside, we should seriously ask ourselves whether it has indeed become dangerous to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. We would have been reassured had we known that the Lebanese coast is free from biological, chemical, and oil pollution. Just how much have areas contaminated with wastewater increased, especially in coastal cities where sewers are channeled directly to the sea without treatment? Each year, the National Center for Scientific Research takes water samples from various Lebanese coastal sites and issues an annual map on its findings. Areas with critical pollution rates are known today and have not shown any decline in their levels of pollution – namely the area surrounding the public beach in Tripoli, the beach of Antelias, the beach of Ras Beirut near the lighthouse, the public beach of Ramlet El-Bayda, and the area surrounding the Municipal Stadium in Sidon. Marine biologists recommend that people avoid sewage

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emptying sites and various other points. They also advise keeping away from river mouths because river water usually carries industrial effluents, which could pose a threat to swimmers and fishermen in that area. Furthermore, they say people should steer clear from inhabited coastal areas in general and head towards the sparsely populated ones instead. Scientists agree that the safest areas for bathing are located in the south in Naqoura and Bayada, as well as in Hiri in the north. The less contaminated areas – where pollution is accidental and not permanent – include various points along the Lebanese coast in the regions of Akkar, Tripoli, Jounieh, Sidon, and Tyre. This indicates that the fact that coastal wwaters quality has not improved over the last several years is due to the increase of human activity in coastal areas where two-thirds of Lebanon’s population is concentrated. It goes without saying that speeding up the process of building wastewater treatment plants along the coast will help stop organic pollution and the degradation of the marine environment. Treating wastewater helps reduce bacterial contamination on the Lebanese coast, but what about chemical contamination, which is not regularly tested and remains largely unidentified? It is natural to call for more accurate scientific studies on coastal pollution, and analyze larger samples including water and different mobile and stationary marine organisms from

both fauna and flora. They should also cover larger geographical areas and examine different types of pollutants. Reports and advisories should be issued regularly to tell citizens what beaches to go to and others to avoid. On to private swimming pools now; are they considered less dangerous than the sea? And what authority is doing the necessary sampling to test the quality of their water, measure its chlorine content, and propose a treatment method to ensure safety? Swimming pool water disinfection systems are still a contentious issue on the global level today, particularly those based on the traditional method of chlorine sterilization. Sterilizing swimming pools with chlorine has sparked a furor around the world, especially in the case of indoor pools, which emit fumes of chlorine gas and its derivatives, causing numerous health problems, including pulmonary disease. This is manifested by an increase of the cases of asthma and other respiratory infections. Many medical references suggest the use of sterilization technologies based on ozone instead of chlorine, which has been proven as the main cause of many health problems among children. After chlorine derived chemicals in pool water interact with other substances in the bodies of swimmers, they irritate the airways and increase the sensitivity of children’s lungs. This paves the way for developing asthma or other lung diseases.

Getting dumped

Landfill in the city W

Words and photographs by Cherine Yazbeck bosquin

elcome to Sidon, the third largest Lebanese city with 250,000 inhabitants. Famed for its picturesque port, Sidon, which literally means fishing, is also home to one of the most infamous landfills by the seashore in the Mediterranean. Nestled in the south, no one knows when the dump actually started, but it has certainly been going on this way for decades,

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perhaps since the late 1960s, locals say. During the 1982 Israeli invasion, buildings debris was dumped there and several trucks would frantically deposit wastes there, enjoying the state chaos that ensued the war. As in many third world nations, all kinds of waste are dropped into the dump haphazardly: Medical waste, animal carcasses, sometimes corpses, chemical, industrial, and construction

waste as well as solid household waste. The increase in the amount of wastes during the last two decades is now causing a major threat to public health in the area not to mention a daunting environmental hazard. The dump has steadily grown over the years and today is a high as a five-storey building. Despite demonstrations and awareness campaigns by NGOs, the issue has

Near the Sidon dump

La troisième ville du Liban, une ville portuaire avec une côte splendide est infectée depuis des décennies par un dépotoir situé en bord de mer! Depuis l’invasion israélienne de 1982, les déchets ont commencé à s’accumuler de plus belle: destruction d’habitations, déchets ménagers, hospitaliers, toxiques, chimiques, carcasses d’animaux et autres immondices s’amoncèlent sans aucun contrôle dans cette montagne haute de 5 étages et dont le volume atteindrait les 600.000 mètres cubes. La situation sécuritaire du pays combinée à un manque de volonté politique ont aggravé la situation et à ce jour aucun projet ne semble poindre à l’horizon. Les activistes, pêcheurs et autochtones ont mené des actions, en vain. Les regards sont aujourd’hui rivés vers le nouveau président de la municipalité de Saïda qui se doit de résoudre le problème au plus vite. ‫صيدا هي ثالث مدينة في لبنان‬ ‫ تنمتّع هذه المدينة‬.‫من حيث الحجم‬ ‫الساحلية بشواطئ رائعة على‬ ‫المتوسط إال أنها تعاني منذ عقود‬ ّ ‫مكب للنفايات على مقربة‬ ‫من تواجد‬ ّ .‫من البحر‬ ‫بدأت النفايات بالتراكم هناك منذ‬ ‫زمن اإلجتياح اإلسرائيلي في عام‬ ‫ وهي تتألف من ردميات إنشائية‬1982 ‫وقمامة متعددة المصادر (المنزلية‬ )‫والطبية والسامة والكيميائية‬ ‫باإلضافة إلى جيف حيوانية وحثالة‬ ‫ تتج ّمع كلّها عشوائي ًا ودون‬،‫أخرى‬ ‫أي مراقبة في جبل يضاهي علوه‬ ‫خمس طبقات من مبنى سكني‬ ‫ ألف متر‬600 ‫ويصل حجمه إلى حوالي‬ .‫مكعّ ب‬

yet to be tackled by all concerned bodies. Waste collection vehicles unload 350 tons of waste daily. The figure cannot be confirmed, as the Municipality of Sidon does not carry out any accurate studies and is unsure how many villages dump their wastes there. After the Israeli withdrawal in 2000, the landfill became a major headache to the city. In the summer, the situation gets worse: Offgassing of methane generated by decaying organic wastes creates fires – and the smoke lasts months. Consequently, several patients suffer from asthma, lung cancer, and other landfill-related health problems, says Dr. Wehbé Shuayb, founder of the Hospital

of the South, which is situated at a stone’s throw from the dump. Communities living near the landfill are subject to respiratory illnesses due to the poor air quality at its peak whenever greenhouse gases are emitted. Methane gas is recognized as being far more dangerous than carbon dioxide. No clear medical studies show the percentage of locals suffering from landfillrelated symptoms and diseases. What the state says Former Prime Minister and Sidon MP Fouad Siniora says, no solution has been found yet as the country was plunged in strife and no

ّ ‫أسفر الوضع األمني غير المستقر‬ ‫في البالد مع التقاعس على مستوى‬ ‫اإلرادة السياسية عن تفاقم حالة‬ ‫ وليس هناك حتى اليوم أي‬،‫المكب‬ ّ ‫مشروع يهدف إلى إيجاد حل لهذه‬ .‫المشكلة‬ ‫كان هناك بعض الناشطين البيئيين‬ ‫والصيادين والسكان المحليين‬ ‫ إال أن‬،‫الذين قاموا ببعض التحرّكات‬ .‫جهودهم كانت دون جدوى‬ ‫تتّجه األنظار اليوم نحو رئيس بلدية‬ ‫صيدا المنتخب حديث ًا الذي وعد بأخذ‬ ‫المشكلة على عاتقه ليجد لها حلّ ًا‬ .‫في أسرع وقت ممكن‬

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Are fish contaminated off Sidonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seashore? Solid waste management consultant Lama Abdul Samad responds.

Stationary species such as algae, sea urchins, clams, and oysters are primarily vulnerable to pollution, and can be used as biological indicators for pollution due to their bio-accumulating contaminants. Fish hailing from other waters are generally safe but no studies confirm this statement. Endemic species and stationary living species are the main biological indicators for pollution. Fish are not generally used as indicators. However, the National Commission for Scientific Research (CNRS) tests the fish stock and sets tolerance limits. Thank to this information, the fishing industry should abide by fishing quotas per type of fish and ban fishing of some fish types, either due to high levels of contamination or to control and enhance fish stocks.

government has been strong enough to move the dump inland by imposing on a given village an “underground storage lot”. “Many villages dump their waste in Sidon and none would allow any municipality to do the same in its village. That’s the real problem,” he claims. Siniora believes that the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) effect affects the resolution of that issue. Sidon is running out of space and cannot possibly store all garbage hailing from different parts of the region, while the lack of appropriate space to build a proper sanitary landfill makes it even more difficult to put an end to this matter. In a bid to resolve 60 percent of the problem, Siniora plans to fill up the seashore with some of the waste of the ‘mountain’ extending the city by 550,000 square meters. Many activists slam this project. Among them is Mohammed Sargi, president of the Lebanese Professional Divers Syndicate who is convinced that Siniora’s plan will harm even more what remains of marine life there. He blames

the status quo on all institutions and the government which is unable to solve this delicate issue. The money is there, the will is missing. Funds from Saudi Arabia have reportedly been allocated to resolving part of the problem. IBC, a solid waste treatment factory was built a few blocks away from the landfill, but for some reason, it might never function! Meanwhile, the Sidon landfill was enlarged earlier this year, allowing it more space to store more waste every day. Catch-22 Fishermen like Mahmoud Chaaban do not catch fish anymore. They go out fishing like their forefathers did, but they would not allow their children to do so. “Our sea is a huge garbage bin and it drives me mad to see what we’ve been doing to this beautiful treasure for decades now.” In his fishing net, the catch of the day comprises plastic bottles and bags, while years back he would return back home with enough money to feed the whole family. Sidon’s fish market

is in fact full of fish from Turkey and Egypt. Mohammad Hamdan, a Palestinian refugee from the Ein el-Hilweh camp, makes a bare living from scavenging for plastic materials and metallic items. He fears hospital wastes because “syringes might contain Aids and other diseases that I could bring back home,” he says. There are over 100 people working on the landfill, they make ends meet by helping recycle whatever could be useful: Plastic, metal, and cardboard. Carol Sukhn, ecotoxicologist at American University of Beirut, monitored research on sea urchins off Sidon. She says marine biodiversity there has been destroyed, damaged by garbage falling into the sea intoxicating fish and other living species while plastic covers the substrata hiding fish habitats – killing every life down there. The sea urchin has always been a major species under observation, and the sea urchin population has disappeared off Sidon – alarming ecologists. As to the future of the Sidon dump, there is a lack of political will given the country’s divisive political system and weakness in the central government. So no one can tell when the problem will be really solved. The new mayor of Sidon gave hope to citizens and might be the one who will eventually save Sidon’s seashore provided he is backed by a strong government.

Catch of the day: How safe is this fish?

Environment minister Mohammad Rahal comments â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is important to note that 60 percent of the mountain is composed of rubble generated from the various clean-ups of demolished buildings from various wars. This kind of waste can only be used after certain treatment (crushing and removal of iron and steel) in sea reclamation. Such action will distress the load on quarries and allow us to get rid of the crushed used waste. However, such activities require meticulous sorting in order to ensure that no other waste is ends up in the sea.â&#x20AC;?

...ghastly Scene from the dump...

Floating garbage in the sea

That’s rubbish

Waste management emergency plans must stop

It’s an emergency! Words by Wael Hmaidan, Executive Director, IndyACT

nce again, the Lebanese government is launching a new solid waste management “emergency plan”. It seems that we are jumping from one “emergency plan” to the next. Every few years, we “suddenly” realize that our landfills are “filling up”, so we prepare an “emergency plan” to deal with the crisis. We have never taken the time to set a “long-term sustainable strategy and plan” to resolve the problem sustainably and once and for all. It all started with the 1996 “emergency plan” set by then Environment Minister Akram Chehayeb, given the urgency to close the Burj-Hammoud dump. The idea was to draft a full strategy directly after that to deal with the problem on a national level. This never happened. Why are we failing to reach a sustainable way to deal with this festering issue? A primary reason is that we keep preparing “emergency plans”. Once an “emergency plan” is in place, it in fact becomes “the longterm plan” until we reach crisis point again. The government has limited resources and many issues at hand. If an issue is not

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of an urgent nature, it is put on hold. So in the case of solid waste management in Lebanon, developing an interim emergency plan will only aggravate the problem rather than solve it. As the government does not have the luxury to develop an “emergency plan” and follow it up with a “long-term plan”, it might as well just develop a longterm sustainable plan. The main difference between an emergency plan and long-term one for solid waste management is that the former focuses on what we do with the waste after it is generated. Lebanon generates around 4,000 tons of solid waste daily, which the government has to deal with. What is to be done with the wastes? Here, we have to consider the different solid waste management methods and technologies of recycling, composting, etc… In a long-term plan the focus is different. A sustainable plan looks at how material flows in a society before the waste is generated, and tries to control the type and quantity of waste generated to make dealing with it easier. Here, the technology used to handle

the generated waste is the last thing to consider. We can draw an analogy to the car issue here. We might all agree that cars as a means of transportation are good. But if a community living in the Amazon forest decides to bring in cars there, we all would agree that this is a bad idea. As a technology, cars are good. However, the decision to have cars or not involves much more than that, including the creation of roads, gas stations, repair shops, and so on. Similarly, determining whether a solid waste management technology is good or not requires organizing the flow of materials in the human system. For that reason, the main aspect of a sustainable long-term plan for waste management is having a strong wastes law that deals with the flow of material in a community. It would regulate the whole process and manage stakeholders involved in dealing with our waste problem. The Environment Ministry has already drafted such a bill that makes a good basis for a strong waste management law in Lebanon. I believe it is time for the government to pass such a law.

Waste matters

Dirty talk! Words and photographs by Cherine Yazbeck BOSQUIN

So what would be a decent solid waste management procedure in Lebanon? Cherine Yazbeck Bosquin asks solid waste management consultant Lama Abdul Samad.

proper waste management process in Lebanon encompasses four main steps, according to Abdul Samad. Source Waste sorting: Waste is commingled, i.e. it is not source separated or segregated. Reduction of waste upon purchase of goods: Purchasing goods that have less packaging reduces waste produced at the house hold level. Reuse of what can be useful such as tins, cans, bottles, mainly glass jars and other containers. Transport Provide a proper collection system with standard garbage collection trucks. Many villages have tractors, others have pickup trucks, but very few have proper waste collection vehicles that stop waste from flying out causing littering. Treatment Waste treatment ensures that waste has the least practicable impact on the environment. In Sidon, there is a high percentage of organic and recyclable waste. Indeed, 60 percent of waste is organic that can be treated in a facility in order to create compost. Good and clean compost improves the texture, nutrient content, and water holding capacity of the

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soil. It strengthens the soil while increasing the nutrients in the ground and optimizing the groundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water retention. It is essential to sort organic waste properly and thoroughly out of the commingled waste stream, as the quality of the end product (compost) depends on the sorting. If organic waste is mixed with contaminated garbage, compost will be of poor quality unusable in agriculture. With no waste separation at the source, the composted organic portion of the waste stream will not produce quality grade compost due to high levels of contaminants, therefore rendering them unusable for agricultural purposes. However, these lesser grades of compost could be spread as landfill daily cover, rehabilitation of quarries, among other purposes. Forty percent of waste is inorganic out of which approximately 15 percent is non-recyclable inert and needs to be disposed in sanitary landfills. Inert waste is neither chemically nor biologically reactive and will not decompose. Inert wastes are non reactive. However, all inorganic wastes such as glass plastics and metals will not decompose, only organics do. The rest, approximately 25 percent, can be sorted out of the waste stream and delivered to the respective recycling facilities (glass, plastic, metalâ&#x20AC;Ś).

Sanitary landfill disposal In large cities, a sanitary landfill is essential to dump non-recyclable garbage such as shoes, black plastic bags etcâ&#x20AC;Ś Disposal is the final stage of waste management.

It is essential to have a sanitary disposal landfill site to receive the inorganic non-recyclable inert wastes that remain after waste has been treated. These materials, such as Tetra Paks, textiles, etcâ&#x20AC;Ś

which cannot be dealt with should be disposed of properly and safely. The aforementioned is a classical sense of waste treatment. However, there are many other techniques given the global trend

to refuse derived fuel. Compost is not the only treatment method for organics. Other methods exist, such as anaerobic digestion, which produces methane gas that can be used as a fuel.

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Zero waste

There is nothing more important than these resources, especially that they are running short very fast!

Coming clean

Words by Wael Hmaidan

here is something peculiar about the human mind and its perception of waste. Humanity values resources on the ground, and we go the extreme ends of the Earth to collect such resources to turn them into consumerist products. Our sole concern in life is the maximum enjoyment of these resources. We spend our lives working to be able to afford buying goods made from these resources, which span agricultural crops, iron, aluminum, plastic, etc. They are the basis of our quality of life.

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Aware of the aforementioned, we loathe the resources we so once badly wanted – once they become waste that is. Once we are done with that can of soda we enjoyed to the fullest, something signals in our heads that it is now “disgusting” and we need to get rid of it as fast as possible. Then we endeavor to get it out of sight by burying it in a landfill or burning it in an incinerator. Then it starts all over again: We go to ever more remote places on the planet to obtain new resources from which to make more goods. This sounds very absurd but humanity has been at it for the past 150 years – with the onset of the Industrial Revolution. However, now that we are starting to realize that our resources are wearing thin, and that global demand is on a sharp incline which our available resources cannot possibly meet, things are changing. Global visionary experts in waste management have realized that following the linear system, where raw material flows through human society and ends up as waste, means the eventual end of human civilization. They thought that this cannot continue, so they came up with the “Zero Waste” concept. The new

concept revolutionized thinking about waste management, leading professionals to look at in terms of holistic material management. In other words, instead of thinking what we should do with the waste that society produces, Zero Waste looks at how material flows in a community before becoming waste, and tries to improve systems in place in order to reduce the amount of waste produced. So Zero Waste involves thinking before extracting materials, asking if we really need such materials and how we will use them. It is about addressing the design of the product before it is manufactured, ensuring that it contains no toxic materials, and that we will be able to recycle that product easily. It is about the logistics of how products “move” in a given society, and making sure that there is a system to send these products after they are no longer needed back to the industry that made them so that they can be reused. Zero Waste made us realize that our waste is actually an income and job generating resource. That is why cities and states around the world are adopting Zero Waste legislation. Lebanon is now at a crossroads. The cabinet is rethinking its waste strategy. This is a unique opportunity for Lebanon to become a pioneer by being the first country to adopt Zero Waste as a national waste management strategy.

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s c r atc h ing t h e s u r f ace

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Sustainable transport

Vicious cycle Transport in Lebanon

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l l a e r â&#x20AC;&#x2122; e w in e m a s the Boat

Words by karah byrns

escending from the mountains to reach Beirut, the first visible sign that the capital looms near is not its skyscrapers or dazzling lights, but a thick and ominous blanket of grayish yellow smog. With an increasing number of vehicles on the road each year, engines idling in traffic make matters worse, with Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud recently announcing that the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure will be critically overloaded this summer under the stress of an expected 2.5 million tourists. Clean and efficient public transportation is non-existent and limited coastal highways cannot bear the brunt of both local commuters and visitors. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t jump on the bus The bus system run by numerous private operators is reputedly inconvenient and slow with chaotic scheduling and a limited choice of routes, although a lot of people find the bus an alternative means to commute. Cars have become a necessary financial burden with the mounting price of gas, limited parking, and traffic, but remain a social symbol of modernity, mobility, and independence. Confronting these obstacles, however, are two pioneering projects that suggest Lebanon can actually turn a profit and solve the problem by making use of its most valuable asset since time immemorial â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the sea. Dr. Khaled Taki, president of the Arab Franchise Association, has launched a public/private initiative with the government to establish Beirut Water Taxi (BWT), which would ferry between major Lebanese cities, cutting journeys from Tripoli/Tyre to Beirut to 55 minutes, and Jounieh/Dammour to Beirut to 25 minutes. With large commercial centers and car parks at each port alongside shuttle buses running efficient routes every three to five minutes to

ELHUB is a platform of exchange between different means of transportation. Inland, it manages private cars, taxis, services and busses; in water, the round shape comfortably hosts in and out catamarans. This is the third and final step of a station composed of different floating concrete modules letting the station grow, and/ or adapt depending on needs.

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Words by Karah Byrns

Citoyen dans ce pays ou touriste en visite pour la première fois, ce qui vous attire sur le chemin de la montagne vers Beyrouth, est ce nuage de poussière grise qui couvre le ciel de la capitale dans son ensemble. L’augmentation du nombre de véhicules sur les routes chaque année, est l’une des causes de cette pollution, cela ne paralyse pas seulement le trafic mais affecte le pays en général du fait qu’il devient difficile de se débarrasser de ce genre de pollution. Tous ces problèmes et ces obstacles ont poussé Dr Khalid Taqi à lancer l’idée de taxi marin composé de bateaux ou shuttles et autres moyens de transport maritime capables de traverser les villes côtières au Liban, et passer d’une région à l’autre rapidement et sans user de l’environnement. ELHUB (ou pivot) est un deuxième projet de transport public maritime proposé par Frédéric Karam et Leonard Gutner. ELHUB comprend un système pour le transport des gens et dispose également de catamarans pour le transport de marchandises et de véhicules. Il s’appuie sur des études approfondies dans la planification urbaine et l’architecture. Le projet vise à éliminer la congestion urbaine qui bloque actuellement la croissance économique et sociale, et à créer de nouveaux centres culturels dynamiques dans les villes au niveau des ports, ou “hubs”.

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get people to their inland destinations quickly, the BWT would revolutionize affordable public transport in Lebanon and create no less than 15,000 jobs. The boats would be used during peak hours for work commuters and nonpeak hours for tourism. At night, dinner/cocktail cruises would grace the coast. BWT received an official endorsement in June with an agreement to prepare and present a new sea transport law to parliament that would allow the initiative to move forward. “Once the legislature is passed, work would begin simultaneously on all fronts… with a finish date of 12 months to be operational and 24 months for completion of the entire sea transport system,” claims Taki. Stay in the water Another innovative venture out into the water, ELHUB is a second public maritime transport project being proposed by Frederic Karam and Leonard Gutner. ELHUB comprises a transport system that also includes catamarans for the transportation of goods and vehicles, and relies on extensive studies in urban planning and architecture. The project aims to eliminate the urban congestion that is currently blocking economic and social growth and to create new, dynamic cultural centers within cities at each port, or “hub”. According to Karam, one of the main challenges is “the creation of public space in a highly privatized country. A public space is not necessarily a governmental structure but a space that allows people to meet, exchange, and develop activities. Our concern is to find a way to support such a dynamic, and we think that hubs can be a viable means to create hybrid spaces that also reunite dislocated units. We do not underestimate this difficult task… but most importantly [its success] relies on the acceptance of the Lebanese people.” Dubai inaugurated a water taxi service in May and Syria has plans to unveil a public maritime transportation system this summer as Lebanese citizens look forward to yet another year of traffic and the poorest air quality to date. The first step toward water transport in Lebanon would be a necessary modification to the law. www.beirutwatertaxi.com, www.elhub.net

‫ان كنت مواطنا في هذا البلد‬ ،‫او سائحا تزوره للمرة االولى‬ ‫تلفتك وانت على طريق الجبل‬ ‫متوجها الى بيروت غيمة غبارية‬ ‫رمادية تغطي سماء العاصمة‬ ‫ تزايد عدد المركبات‬.‫كلها‬ ‫والمحركات على الطرقات كل‬ ‫ هو احد اسباب هذا التلوث‬،‫عام‬ ‫فهو ال يصيب حركة المرور‬ ‫بالشلل فحسب بل يعرض البلد‬ ‫بشكل عام لنوع من التلوث‬ .‫الذي يصعب التخلص منه‬ ‫في ظل كل هذه المشاكل‬ ،‫ولمواجهة هذه العقبات‬ ‫أطلق الدكتور خالد تقي فكرة‬ ‫التاكسي المائي الذي يتألف‬ ‫من مركبات خاصة وعبّارات‬ ‫وباصات عمومية وغيرها من‬ ‫وسائل النقل البحرية وهو من‬ ‫شأنه أن يساعد في التنقل‬ ‫من منطقة الى اخرى بشكل‬ ‫اسرع ومن دون تعريض البيئة‬ .‫للتلوّ ث‬ ‫«الهاب» (أو المحور) هو مشروع‬ ‫ من‬،‫ثاني للنقل البحري العام‬ ‫إقتراح فريدريك كرم ولينرد‬ ‫ يضم المشروع نظام ًا‬.‫غاتنر‬ ً ّ ‫لنقل‬ ‫إضافة إلى قوارب‬ ‫الركاب‬ ‫ وهو‬،‫لنقل البضائع والمركبات‬ ‫معمقة‬ ‫يعتمد على دراسات‬ ّ ‫في مجالي التخطيط الحضري‬ .‫والهندسة المعمارية‬ ‫يهدف المشروع إلى القضاء‬ ‫على إزدحام السير في المدن‬ ‫الذي يقوم حالي ًا بتأخير النمو‬ ،‫اإلقتصادي واإلجتماعي‬ ‫باإلضافة إلى خلق مراكز ثقافية‬ ‫جديدة وديناميكية داخل المدن‬ .»‫ أو «محور‬،‫في كل ميناء‬

The great inflation

Chaque dernier samedi du mois, un groupe de cyclistes se lance dans les rues de Beyrouth se cognant la tête contre la circulation routière, sous le regard stupéfait des conducteurs derrière leurs volants.

Beirut makes some way for biking ou might have spotted them on any one of the last Saturdays of the month: A group of cyclists bumping heads with traffic as drivers observe the athletes in awe, unabated by the chaos of the streets of Beirut. Frenzied driving and challenging weather have so far not stopped these Critical Mass bikers from hitting the road. “As of late, a few people complain a bit about the heat…but we’re still averaging around 30 participants per month,” explains Ruba Mourad, one of the unofficial organizers of Critical Mass. Part of the concept since its inception back in October, when American Deric Gruen from Seattle brought the worldwide concept to Lebanon, Mourad hopes that more of the participants will become regulars Critical Mass bike rides date back to 1992. Founded in San Francisco, the venture has become a monthly happening in over 300

cities worldwide. Its goal is to encourage sustainable transport while highlighting the beauty of the sport. “We’re very happy; biking seems to be picking up here,” states Mourad, who also manages the Critical Mass bike rides (Beirut) Facebook page – one way to keep track of biking events across the country. Among other success stories in Lebanon, Mourad cites the recent “Darreja”, which took place early June, when over 100 cyclists biked from Luna Park to Manara and back again. The event intended to show the public as well as state officials that biking and bikeways can provide Lebanese with a more sustainable and viable option for commute. “Darreja” was organized by FastForward, the newest of Lebanon’s advocacy groups for sustainable development, in partnership with the Netherlands embassy and local groups.

En effet, ni la conduite frénétique des gens ni les conditions météorologiques dures ne pourraient empêcher ces motards de la Critical Mass de prendre la route. Le concept Critical Mass qui a été initié en 1992 à San Francisco, est arrivé en Octobre dernier au Liban. ‫تقوم مجموعة من راكبي الدراجات‬ ‫الهوائية يوم السبت األخير من‬ ‫كل شهر بالنزول إلى شوارع بيروت‬ ً ‫متحد‬ ‫ّية حركة السير تحت أنظار‬ .‫سائقي السيارات المذهولين‬ ‫والملفت أن ال أحد من هؤالء الدر ّاجين‬ ‫يبدو متأثراً باألوضاع الفوضوية‬ .‫لشوارع العاصمة‬ ‫ ال القيادة المتهوّ رة‬،‫في الواقع‬ ‫لسائقي السيارات وال األوضاع‬ ‫الجوية الصعبة بإستطاعتها منع‬ ‫هؤالء الرياضيين المنتمين لمبادرة‬ ‫«كريتيكال ماس» من ركوب در ّاجاتهم‬ .‫واإلنطالق‬ ‫تم إطالق «كريتيكال ماس» في سان‬ ‫ وتم‬1992 ‫فرانسيسكو في عام‬ ‫إدخالها إلى لبنان في تشرين األول‬ .‫الماضي‬

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Rayak Railway in the Bekaa

TRAIN OF THOUGHT

Railway resurrection Is Lebanon on track? Photographs by NADA karam

n many Middle Eastern countries, the problem of traffic jams has been snowballing over the years. And this in turn has been negatively affecting the environment – not to mention our sanity. As a result, the focus has been shifting towards establishing an effective public transportation system – specifically railways. A modern railway system effectively lowers traffic congestion thus reducing pollution and lowers individual monetary expenditure thus improving the economy. Consequently, Syria and Jordan are planning to revive the train lines that once linked Damascus to Mecca during the early part of the twentieth century – targeted by Lawrence of Arabia during World War I to harass the Ottoman Empire. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have also joined the bandwagon and each Gulf state has major plans to improve and expand its railway and metro systems. In fact, over one hundred billion dollars have been allocated for the upcoming 10 years as an investment to develop railways all across the Gulf. The plan is to connect the train lines of the region – from Kuwait down to Oman – bringing together the people and economies that belong to the Gulf Cooperation Council.

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And it remains unclear whether Lebanon is to follow suit, as there has been talk to resurrect and expand the railway system. The French government has recently announced plans to fund a study to rehabilitate Lebanonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coastal railways. But will such discussions lead to the eventual realization of the project? Observers are sceptical considering the absence of proper funding, the lack of a strategic vision, and an inability to reach a consensus even on minor matters. We hope the government proves them wrong, as it is time to get serious about public transport planning.

Rayak Railway in the Bekaa

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Rayak Railway in the Bekaa

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behind the wheel

On the fast, green lane Words by Antoine Naaman

ou’ve probably heard of the revolutionary “hybrid vehicles” by now – if you haven’t, then you’ve probably been living under a rock. And while this technology is rapidly booming elsewhere around the world, it’s quite essential that we highlight this type of cars in particular, already available on our Lebanese market but hardly picking up. The term “hybrid” has been closely associated with efficiency, eco-friendliness, and convenience. Cars like the Honda Civic Hybrid, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Toyota Prius are making a huge success in terms of sales in the U.S. and Europe. Such cars use two different sources of power – fuel and electricity – to meet their energy requirements. What is also interesting about them is that they make use of additional energy generated by brakes thanks to the “regenerative braking system”, which is responsible for capturing the energy normally wasted in braking or slowing down. This recovered power is stored inside a battery that powers one or more electric motors

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assisting the main fuel engine to propel the car. It might sound complicated, but it is irrefutably groundbreaking. One other cool feature is the “engine shut-off technology” that allows the car to switch off the engine while it is idle, thus conserving the fuel needed to keep the engine running. Far from having nothing but pros, hybrid cars do come with a couple of drawbacks; they are heavy on acceleration, they cannot achieve the same high speeds that normal cars are able to attain, and they are not too efficient on highways. Battery life, and the cost of replacing the battery, are also considered main drawbacks in addition to the safety issues that arise from the somewhat feeble bodies of certain models. Hard drive While the Toyota Prius sells for just over $20,000 in the U.S., it fails to impress price-wise in Lebanon. The model has been available on the Lebanese market for the past two years and only twenty units – yes, twenty – have been sold so far. Do people like it? You bet they do; at least they showed huge

interest in it during the latest Motor Show (April 2010). Would it not be a perfect solution to this ongoing fuel crisis that we are experiencing lately? Indeed, it would. So why won’t people buy this Toyota? It’s because it will set them back $60,000. That is a whole lot of heartache if you ask me, and a pain in the pocket. For such a price, there are surely better looking, more featurepacked non-hybrid cars out there, and it is in our nature to go for the most attractive, fastest, and latest car that we can get a good deal on. Let us pause for a moment and think about what we need to consider before buying a car these days. Environmental specialists estimate that 75 percent of air pollution in Lebanon originates from cars; the majority of the recent respiratory

illnesses have been caused by air pollution; our weather is clearly changing and let us not get started on global warming… Since we’re not likely to cycle our way to the office on a given winter day, it might seem like a good idea to invest in a hybrid car real soon – or we can always walk. While the price of the Toyota Prius remains a main selling point in the U.S., it is the major deal breaker in Lebanon. It appears that the import tariffs on fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles will be dropped and that consumers will soon be able to buy different models of hybrid cars… Our country is finally striving to improve the quality of its air and reduce carbon emissions. But will the Lebanese actually embrace the technology?

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Good Neighbors

The royal approach

Jordanian environment minister shares his views and vision with Beyond

ecycled violence, political strife and conspiracy theories never cease to dominate headlines in this part of the world. Everything else – regardless of how vital or mundane – is constantly bullied to the background. And the environment is no exception despite the ongoing onslaught against receding natural riches and resources. But Jordan seems to be ahead of the regional pack in terms of ecological preservation and energy conservation. Instigating change that benefits the environment in this country is not a hard endeavour given the high level of awareness amongst city dwellers and villagers alike, according to Hazem Malhas, Jordan’s environment minister. Coming to office in December from a background in the private sector, Malhas says his country has been adamant in laying the eco-friendly groundwork and explains that they are currently working on a national strategy to protect at least 10 percent of the land. “All laws are now in place to protect the environment although such matters do take time,” Malhas says during a visit to Beirut. “We are the only country in the Middle East today that has 600 rangers [green police], who are fully equipped.” His ministry is also fostering a green economy strategy – an approach that utilizes the environment to generate revenue. He believes that Jordan has all the necessary tools to implement this strategy – from proper education and research and development to NGOs and the private sector. In fact, environmental awareness now encompasses the entire Jordanian ministerial cabinet. “Every minister has been ‘greened’ since we mobilized our efforts,” Malhas boasts. “They all approved my green finance plan in order to acquire funds from banks. I immediately acted and acquired funds. This way, we could support small, medium, and large businesses.” Malhas also invited ESCOS – energy saving companies – to receive proposals

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on how to go about realizing ecofriendly plans. All such efforts are needed given that the rate at which urbanization has been accelerating in Jordan has had dire consequences on the environment. Migration from both foreign countries and rural regions towards the capital Amman disrupted the balance, especially since no proper urban planning existed at one point. But Malhas assures that Jordan now has excellent master planning. “My vision is this: Twenty years of retrofitting the infrastructure,” he says. “Without master planning, you would have residential areas and industrial areas converging.” Malhas continues: “I want to make sure that we do not waste energy anymore.” The approach adopted by Jordan to save energy involves raising the standards followed by proper inspection and granting incentives in the form of grants to small and medium sized businesses in order to help them shift to the “greener” side. Jordan’s inspection system is now ready to engage 400 chemical factories in order to promote sound environmental practices, says Malhas, who owns a Toyota Prius – an eco-friendly vehicle. An environmental strategy that encompasses the entire Levant region is essential, Malhas points out. “Countries in this area should share expertise and knowledge,” he says. “What we have should be available for the Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian environment ministers... This is the only way we could move forward and fast. Lebanon and Jordan could collaborate on the unchecked urbanization and on other issues including the regulation of quarries and mining.” Concentrating on improving the environment is one sure way to earn respect and recognition on a global scale, Malhas stresses. www.moenv.gov.jo

Line of logic

quick reality check • At least 1.8 million children under the age of five die

every year from water-related diseases. That’s one child every 20 seconds.

liters per person per day in developing countries, and 500 to 800 liters per person per day in industrialized nations.

• It is estimated that about 90 percent of diarrhea cases,

• People in the industrialized world generate five

• Over 50 percent of global malnutrition cases are

associated with diarrhea or intestinal worm infections.

• Over 50 percent of the world’s hospitals beds are

times more wastewater per person than in developing countries. However, they treat over 90 percent of their wastewater in stark comparison to developing countries, where only a little water is treated.

• It takes three liters of water to produce one liter of

occupied by people suffering from illnesses caused by or linked to contaminated water.

bottled water. Worldwide, 200 billion liters of water are produced every year, creating an enormous waste problem caused by plastic bottles.

• Today, almost 900 million people lack access to safe

• Nearly half of phosphate used in agriculture is washed

potable water, and an estimated 2.6 billion lack access to basic sanitation. South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa suffer the most in that respect, with some 221 million and 330 million respectively living without basic sanitation.

• Ninety percent of wastewater discharged daily in developing countries goes untreated.

• Eighty percent of all marine pollution is land-based;

most of it caused by wastewater, which damages coral reefs and fishing grounds.

• Each day, each one of us uses and discards around 150 to 600 liters of water, distributed as follows: 60 to150

away and ends up in rivers and oceans where it plays a part in triggering algae blooms that in turn damage ecosystems and fish stocks.

• Wastewater generates methane – a climate gas

21 times more powerful than CO2. It also generates nitrous oxide – 310 times more powerful than CO2. It is estimated that wastewater-linked emissions of methane and nitrous oxide will rise by 25 percent and 50 percent respectively in just a decade.

Photograph by clement tannouri

killing some 2.2 million every year, is caused by polluted drinking water and poor hygiene.

Source: Sick Water? The central role of wastewater management in sustainable development A United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report.

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local councils

How green are mu nicipa l itie s Words by Bassam Al Kantar

Illustration by Fouad Doughan

nvironment was the magic word everyone used and boasted of during the municipal elections in May. Even heads of quarries mafias and those who were unfortunately reelected in some areas and villages bragged that they were the protectors of the environment and its fiercest defenders. Municipalities in Lebanon comply with a 1977 law that was amended in 1997. In 2001, a new bill was proposed but is yet to be passed in parliament. And despite the impressive efforts by Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud to pass a modern municipal elections law, the government insisted on retaining obsolete laws that resemble it. Article One of Legislative Decree No. 118 issued on June 30, 1977 states the following: The municipality is a local administration that exercises powers entrusted to it by the law within its territories. The municipality has a moral character, financial autonomy, and an ability to manage its local interests. Yet it remains under the supervision of the central authority. The municipality has several functions that include running medical and public health departments, urbanization, construction, public services, security, road planning, waste management, road cleaning, and others. In all these tasks, the environmental element intertwines with development, social, economic, cultural, and heritage elements. The Lebanese are known for selecting competent physicians to treat their families. They are known as well for repairing their cars at the best mechanic they know and to commission the best contractor in town to build their homes. But do they follow the same standard when it comes to the development of their village when they cast their vote? What a green local council does Several criteria make the municipal council a true friend of the environment. The issue is not limited to public cleanliness campaigns and folkloric tree planting in the

presence of a beauty queen. It is a green municipal council that seeks to create a computerized municipality that facilitates the lives of citizens and spares them the wait for paper work. It is a green municipal council that has a plan and a vision to preserve the identity of the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architectural and cultural rights, and is committed to the general directive plan for making use of Lebanese territories and the town. It is a green municipal council that involves young people and specialists in the municipal work and that facilitates the movement of the disabled in public places. It also promotes the work of committees in the municipalities and seeks to create new committees for the environment and the urban planning as well as commissions for statistics, and maintain sports facilities that are also concerned in promoting sports and cultural activities. It is a green municipal council that sets a budget to appoint a forest policeman before hiring a bodyguard for the mayor. It is the council that prepares a water management plan in conjunction with the delivery of water to all homes in town and ensures harsh punishment of sewage related violations, which polluted more than 80 percent of village springs that were available to residents for free before the invasion of plastic bottles that are not subject to any quality control. Setting financial standards and investments as bases for assessing municipal experiences leads the elected to be more interested in cutting down on what appears to them as surplus expenses. Though these expenses may be related to some vital issues, they might not be beneficial for voters and the elected. So they might rush to create incentives for investors without setting any conditions that preserve the environment, as they might burden investors. In general, if we look at the obstacles that hinder municipalities from playing their role in protecting the environment, we see that they are ultimately linked to

Une liaison très proche relie le conseil municipal dans un village à l’environnement. Au Liban, avec la fin des élections municipales tenues dans différentes provinces, nous commençons à entendre de plus en plus d’environnement. Et c’est en dépit des nombreuses taches qu’il prend à sa charge de santé publique, urbanisation, construction services publics, sécurité, organisation et entretien des route et autres, que l’environnement et sa préservation reste le seul souci du conseil municipal. Malgré tous les obstacles que la municipalité affronte dans ce domaine, qu’ils soient au niveau financier ou investissement ainsi que la négligence qu’elle laisse voir dans certains cas ou son manque d’entretien, il convient de souligner ici que la préservation des terres vertes et de l’environnement implique tout le monde, électeurs, fonctionnaires et gouvernement en général avec ses institutions, ses organismes et ses partis politiques ainsi que la société civile qui a dernièrement vulgarisé le travail dans l’environnement dans de nombreux cas et lui a fait perdre son aspect de bénévolat.

the problem of environmental awareness among voters and elected parties. And this is a responsibility for all to bear, especially the state and its institutions, agencies, and political parties in addition to the civil society, which has trivialized environmental action and led it to lose its voluntary aspect.

‫صلة وصل وثيقة تجمع بين‬ ‫المجلس البلدي في القرية من‬ ‫ في‬.‫جهة والبيئة من جهة اخرى‬ ‫لبنان ومع انتهاء االنتخابات‬ ‫البلدية واالختيارية التي جرت في‬ ‫ بدأنا‬،‫أيار في مختلف المحافظات‬ ‫نسمع بمصطلح البيئة اكثر واكثر‬ ‫فالى جانب الوظائف العديدة‬ ‫التي تديرها البلدية من شؤون‬ ،‫ وبناء‬،‫ وتم ّدن‬،‫صحيّة وصحّ ة عامّة‬ ‫ وتنظيم‬،‫ وأمن‬،‫وخدمات عامّة‬ ‫ وتخ ّلص من نفايات‬،‫طرقات‬ ‫ يبقى‬،‫وتنظيف طرقات وغيرها‬ ‫شغلها الشاغل البيئة وكيفية‬ ‫ وعلى الرغم‬.‫الحفاظ عليها‬ ‫من كل العوائق التي يواجهها‬ ‫المجلس في هذا المجال اكانت‬ ‫مالية ام استثمارية فضال عن‬ ‫ ال بد‬،‫التقصير الناتج من قبله‬ ‫من التشديد على ان مسؤولية‬ ‫الحفاظ على المساحات الخضراء‬ ‫والبيئة النظيفة في البالد تقع اوال‬ ‫واخيرا على الجميع من ناخبين‬ ‫ومسؤولين ودولة بصفة عامة‬ ‫بمؤسساتها وأجهزتها وأحزابها‬ ‫السياسية اضافة الى المجتمع‬ ‫المدني الذي سخف العمل البيئي‬ ‫في الكثير من األحيان وأفقده بعده‬ .‫التطوعي‬

Sad truth However, municipalities seem unable to play an effective role in local development, as they are formed in line with the customs and familial quotas of villages or towns. So the municipality cannot solve major environmental problems from waste treatment to sanitation and protection of clean water and air sources. The municipal council, particularly in small villages, is unable to develop municipal resources because of its vulnerability and inability to collect these resources. So the resources of a municipality are limited to its shares in the Independent Municipal Fund from which the central authority deducts the expenses of household waste collection that is nearly half the amount, without the consent or the dissent of the municipality. Therefore, municipalities, especially in small villages, regardless of the potential of many of them, cannot provide the necessary resources to implement development projects in villages and preserve the environment.

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Trashy stories

Plastic: The beginning of the end d2w causes the shameless bags to degrade Words by Richard Labaki

he war on plastic bags has been raging on for years, and for a good reason. Being nonenvironmentally friendly, plastic bags require a long time to degrade and cause tremendous harm to wildlife. However, concerted efforts have been expended to make this material nicer to our planet. A recent breakthrough is an additive named d2w, which is currently being added to plastic bags – rendering them degradable without requiring special plants to facilitate the process. The additive has been acquired by Ghanem Development & Trading Co (GDT), which is the sole distributor in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Saudi

Arabia. “One of the predominant misconceptions is that paper bags are superior to plastic bags,” says Jihad Ghanem, managing director, GDT. “But countless trees are wiped out in order to produce paper. Reusable cotton bags were also presented as the ideal solution, but they are expensive and impractical.” Ghanem argues that some European countries are banning plastic bags without presenting viable alternatives. “In Ireland, shopping bags were banned and so the sales of trash bags increased exponentially,” he adds. “Trash bags became the shopping bags – problem not solved!” The fact is a plastic bag has a plethora of

Plastic not so fantastic

“One of the predominant misconceptions is that paper bags are superior to plastic bags. But countless trees are being wiped out in order to produce paper bags.” - Jihad Ghanem amiable qualities: It is lightweight, flexible, durable, and cheap. Nevertheless, plastic bags do not biodegrade easily. “We aimed to produce a plastic bag with a specific shelf-life before it begins to disintegrate slowly on its own – with slow release of Co2 that could dissipate in the soil,” Ghanem explains. “And it is not necessary to put the bag in a special plant or area; it could degrade wherever it placed.” He asserts that d2w remains the best solution as long as petroleum – from which plastic is derived – continues to be extracted and relied upon for energy and industry. This additive has successfully passed all required tests conducted

by independent laboratories. Degradability, biodegradability, and eco-toxicity of many types of plastic bags made with d2w have been tested. It was also certified by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that no health hazards occur when food is exposed to the bag. “Given that everything was certified, we decided to go for it and use d2w in our products,” Ghanem explains. “Today, more than 60 green companies use our plastic bags. And we hope that one day all printed bags would include this amazing additive.” www.gdt-lb.com

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Beyond compare Photographs by Clement tannouri

t is not so often that one comes across pictures that speak for themselves or leave one tonguetied. But the pages you are about to view carry such pictures. Try as we might to describe them we felt we just did not do them justice. Shockingly beautiful or simply out of this world, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll let you be judge. Many of these images were shot from the sky and explore the majestic scenery of Lebanon. Some are extracted from On Earth as it is in Heaven, a book by guest photographer Clement Tannouri.

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Photograph by steven haddad

The root of the matter Local organic industry

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Back to the roots

Photographs shot in a farm in the Bekaa

On what ground does “organic” stand in Lebanon? Words by Aline Sara Photographs by Nada Karam

You have undoubtedly been hearing a great deal about it… Organic markets, organic farming, organic food – even organic makeup. But what exactly does “organic” mean? And just how organic is Lebanon? According to Roula Fares, former manager of LibanCert – Lebanon’s chief and sole organization monitoring the “organic-ness” of products – the industry started back in 2000. It has developed since, “although not quite enough.” Today, an independent consultant for organic farming, Fares explains that Lebanon is lagging in its organic customs and in dire need of a change when it comes to agricultural management and food regulation, often estimated at close to none. Just last fall, Lebanon’s farming habits took the spotlight, as exports were allegedly returned, due to absurdly high amount of pesticides, which newswire Agence France Presse (AFP) approximated at a whopping 25 times the amount international standards permit. As a flood of reports shed light on the Agriculture Ministry’s serious lack of control and farmer’s muddled use of pesticides, the Lebanese suddenly became more aware of their eating habits as rumors of cancer risks emerged. Layane Makarem, co-owner of Ashrafieh’s A New Earth store, explains that European countries are not the only ones rejecting Lebanese produce. Apparently, nations like Syria and Jordan are too. Makarem asserts that her shop is the only fully certified organic market in the country and offers a variety of products, from food, to shampoos, to makeup and even organic champagne and vodka. “We wanted to make this a place where people can find anything they need, not just fruit and vegetables,” states the Nice-born Lebanese. Summer skies 2010

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What exactly does it mean to be “certified organic”? To hold the official label, products must satisfy certain criteria, which can vary among countries. Most significantly of all, they must be chemical-free (chemicals being antibiotics, fertilizers, food additives, pesticides). In Lebanon, explains Makarem, products are inspected by either LibanCert, which operates under Swiss supervision or the Italian Istituto Mediterraneo di Certificazione (IMC). To her, seeing such a pitiful state of produce, especially given Lebanon’s very fertile land, is extremely disappointing. She points to particularly arable land such as the Bekaa, while highlighting the country’s important water resources. A farm owner in the Bekaa, Joanna Debbas says her father started organic cropping over 10 years ago. Although they are not certified, the land is scrupulously worked, as she spends time educating farmers on proper means of production. She is disappointed, however, by the country’s demanding clientele. “It is very costly to put in such time and care to make sure the land is properly treated and almost entirely depleted of pesticides. Yet, people complain when they see a few bugs in their salad,” laments Debbas. Although she does not have her own boutique, she sells her products to restaurants, and does home delivery and catering. “We have unique produce, which attracts customers, like yellow watermelon or tomatoes, or a special type of koussa (zucchini).” The “uniqueness” is a major selling point, stresses Debbas, noting that business is challenging and costly, as the demand remains low. Fares confirms that although the organic market saw a dramatic increase following the pesticide and cancer scare, the industry has recently suffered a setback. She echoes the problem of high costs, and adds that very few people are aware of the importance of eating organic, or at the very least consuming non-chemically infested products. As far as government support, Fares says it tries to be involved, but the major problem remains the farmers and people’s lack of education on the matter, as the former misuses pesticides Summer skies 2010

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and the latter confuses attributes such as “Baladi, natural, organic and even, healthy.” Makarem gives the example of Souk al Tayeb’s farmer’s market, which she says people frequently deem organic, which she alleges is not entirely true. Although she insists she is not undermining the Marché in any way, she mentions the confusion is proof that people are uninformed on the topic. Regardless, Souk al Tayeb remains among the most natural and eco-lover friendly destinations. Mr. and Mrs. Picky As such, every Saturday morning, drifters can wander around Saifi to find anything from baked goods, to fruits, vegetables, soaps, and many other handmade goodies. Started in 2003, the increasingly popular So uk Al Tayeb has paved the way for the country’s market of natural, healthy, and organic goods. If the weekend is already booked, loyal customers can catch it at Ashrafieh’s ABC mall on Wednesday afternoon, or invite friends to lunch or dinner at the market’s latest newcomer, Tawlet Souk el-Tayeb, a restaurant located in Mar Mikhael. Other notable organic related efforts include AUB’s Healthy Basket, which works with local farmers across the country. Launched in 2001, the goal of the project is to preserve the environment while supporting these farmers and protecting people’s wellbeing through consumption of healthy produce. Clients thereafter can sign up to receive a weekly basket of goods. They can also just visit the shop in Hamra or place orders online. Many other stores claim to sell organic, some of which might indeed be striving for the certificate but have not obtained yet, and hence were not included in this coverage. Although facing a bit of a bumpy road, the organic business should humbly work its way up, asserts Fares, as she points to the efforts of a timid number of organic-conscientious citizens. Makarem claims that given the country’s natural resources and proper exploitation, Lebanon might very well have the capacity to become a regional hub for the industry. Summer skies 2010

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Vous avez sans doute entendu parler de ça. Marchés biologiques, agriculture biologique, aliments biologiques - même produits de beauté biologiques. L’industrie a commencé au Liban en 2000, constate Roula Farès, ancienne directrice de LibanCert, la première et unique organisation au Liban à contrôler l’état ‘biologique’ des produits. Depuis, elle a dû progresser, mais pas assez, dit-elle. Aujourd’hui, consultante indépendante pour l’agriculture biologique, Farès explique que le Liban est à la traîne dans ses pratiques organiques, et en grand besoin d’un changement au niveau de la gestion agricole et de la réglementation des aliments, tous les deux souvent considérés comme absents. En effet, l’automne dernier, les pratiques agricoles au Liban ont fait scandale lorsque des produits exportés ont été retournés en raison de taux élevés de pesticides. Un tas de rapports a visé l’incompétence du Ministère de l’Agriculture, critiquant le mauvais contrôle qu’il exerce sur les agriculteurs qui utilisent les pesticides d’une façon aléatoire.

ّ ‫ أسواق‬.‫شك أنكم سمعتم عنها‬ ‫ال‬ ‫المنتجات العضوية والزراعة العضوية‬ ‫واألغذية العضوية وحتى مستحضرات‬ .‫التجميل العضوية‬ ‫بدأت هذه الصناعة في لبنان في عام‬ ‫تتطور ولكن‬ ‫ وهي منذ ذلك الحين‬2000 ّ ،‫ حسب روال فارس‬،‫ليس بما فيه الكفاية‬ ‫ المنظمة‬،»‫المديرة السابقة لـ «ليبان سيرت‬ '‫األولى والوحيدة في لبنان لمراقبة 'عضوية‬ ‫ فارس اليوم مستشارة مستقلة‬.‫المنتجات‬ ‫ وتعتبر أن لبنان‬،‫في مجال الزراعة العضوية‬ ‫ال يزال متقاعس ًا في تطبيق الممارسات‬ ‫العضوية الصحيحة وبحاجة ماسة للتغيير‬ ‫على صعيد كل من إدارة المزارع وتنظيم‬ ‫ اللذان غالب ًا ما يعتبران غير‬،‫المواد الغذائية‬ .‫موجودين‬ ‫في الواقع تسببت الممارسات الزراعية‬ ‫الخاطئة في لبنان في الخريف الماضي‬ ‫بفضيحة عندما تم إرجاع السلع المصدّ رة‬ ‫بسبب إحتوائها على مستويات عالية‬ ‫ فطالت تقارير عدّ ة حينها‬.‫من المبيدات‬ ً ‫منتقدة مراقبتها‬ ‫عدم كفاءة وزارة الزراعة‬ ‫الضعيفة للمزارعين الذين يستخدمون‬ .‫المبيدات بشكل عشوائي‬

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With a cherry on top Summer is natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way of saying: Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jam! Photographs by Nada Karam

One of the many great things about summer is its sweet and succulent fruits. For a country that enjoys over 300 days of sunshine, Lebanon boasts of a rich variety of fruits including apricots, peaches, plums, figs, citrus fruits, and grapes. Beyond takes you for colorful spin across our local groves..

Cherry tree in Laqlouq

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Apricot tree in the Bekaa

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Almond tree in the Bekaa

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Back to the roots

Inside Al Marej Ashrafieh

It’s not just another lemon tree Al Marej fills a growing need

Words by HALA NAFFAH Photographs courtesy of Al Marej

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rganic food might be the trend for some of us at the moment, but for others, like El Marej food store, it is the essence. More than a simple organic food market, El Marej (Arabic for pasture) inspires a healthy lifestyle and a deep connection with nature.

that includes classical local goodies such as jams, marmalades, sundried tomatoes, and honey in addition to special mixes like apricot and spices, and strawberry and ginger. “We are in the process of diversifying and expanding our line,” Abbas explained.

The welcoming and cozy shop on Abdel Wahab El Inglizi Street in Ashrafieh boasts of a rich assortment of goods, including locally sourced organic food, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy, and wine as well as imported organic items like biscuits, chips, and rice. “Al-Marej is a one-stop shopping destination that enables customers to cook a full healthy meal,” said Haifa Abbas, El Marej owner. Al-Marej is also a brand for a line of products

Organic farms in Laqlouq, Mount Lebanon are the main supplier of organic produce to El Marej, which opened its doors to the public around a year ago. “Our story began because one of the partners in this venture is a doctor who owns a most beautiful farm in Laqlouq,” she said, adding that the land is located far from other farms, factories, and plants. “That is why they are protected from pesticides and chemicals,” Abbas elaborated. The Laqlouq farms have been certified organic

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“ El Marej is a one-stop shopping destination that allows customers to cook a full healthy meal.” - Haifa Abbas for over a decade, she continued, without citing the certificate obtained. Meanwhile, Al-Marej products are slated to be certified during the year. “The involvement of the Laqlouq farms in our business is significant because it gives credibility to our shop by knowing the source of the products,” Abbas said. It is through these farms that the store owner wishes to create some kind of bond between El Marej customers and nature. For that reason, the shop will be inviting consumers to visit the farms in the summer for some tasty luncheons and other outdoor activities. “This is where ecotourism also comes in,” she added. “When you look at the farm’s biodiversity, you realize that you left elements of nature to interact with each other and coexist,” she went on to say.

“This is an achievement by itself,” she stressed. “Through this natural balance, we are protecting the environment.” Abbas called for establishing a strong connection between the people working in the organic food sector as well as a connection between the sector and the local farms. “This way, we can all benefit instead of each party having to work on his/her own,” she maintained. Such a bond would also make organic food more accessible to customers, “since whether we like it or not, organic food is more expensive than other foods,” Abbas concurred. In the meantime, Abbas is seeking to attract more of the middle class shoppers to El Marej, as in her view, they are “aware, educated, and exposed.”

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Pinch of salt

Bio dynamics Cooking an organic storm

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rganic trendsetter A New Earth knows how to work up Lebanonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appetite. The eco-living store in Ashrafieh, which offers on a weekly basis organic meals to go, a first step of the kind in the country, has pushed the envelope once again. This time it organized a live cooking demonstration to teach the locals about handling and preparing organic food. Held at Eureka Rabieh, north of Beirut, the cooking feast attracted 15 ladies with a keen interested in healthy food and general wellbeing. They watched with awe Chefs Walid and Mayssoun Nassredine from Coara Cuisine fix readymade organic and vegan meals using A New Earth ingredients. The Nassredines also line up the scrumptious

Scenes from the cooking demo

weekly meals of A New Earth. On the menu was Salade des Incas as a starter, a blend of red and white quinoa salad with tomato, mint, and parsley. For the main course, the ladies were treated to Riz Plein Soleil – in lay terms brown rice with a mix of curry, coriander, turmeric, mustard seed, cumin, fenugreek, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, and cloves, topped with broccoli, carrots, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. A tasting of seitan as meat substitute, and tofu and rice labneh as dairy substitute followed. As a sweet finish, the healthy bonitas relished Bouchées de Céreales aux Dattes and Eau de Rose, which is pastry made with dates, rose water, orange water, and brown rice. www.facebook.com/ANEWEARTHSTORE

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Ethical eating

The real treat Go for a healthy, eco-conscious diet and reduce your overall carbon print Words and photographs by Chérine Yazbeck bosquin

es, we can consume foods that are less harmful to our environment. And sure, it is possible to help decreasing global warming, loss of biodiversity, and soil erosion if we alter our daily diet habits. And of course, we can eat foods with less greenhouse gas emissions. Yes we can be more responsible about what we eat. So let’s dig in! Raising food awareness in Lebanon has recently started with the several “pesticide-related” articles about the enormous quantity of chemical spraying that goes into our fruit and vegetables, not to mention the several “tainted meat scandals” last year. Eating locally and in line with the seasons means less transport (less pollution) and enhances food quality by offering fruit and vegetables that are picked fresh in our country. It is by far the most eco-friendly food habit. Purchasing locally grown food implies less refrigeration, transportation, and packaging. Buying from a farmers market, such as Souk el Tayeb in Saïfi Village on Saturday mornings, or the Earth Market in Hamra on Tuesday mornings, helps keep local farmers in business. Their produce is always fresh, tastes better, and is more mature, without spending more hours on the road than on display. Opting for organic food, produced without chemical pesticides or fertilizers and processed with natural additives is notably safer for your body. Organic goods do not contain hormones, antibiotics, artificial or genetically engineered ingredients, and they are not irradiated. Organic farming helps the environment by fostering healthy soils and a diverse ecosystem. Undoubtedly, our forefathers had much healthier diets than ours. Indeed, the

A typical grocery shop in Burj Hammoud

Kebbe batata: A staple rural dish served at Massaya winery

The Manou’she - no explanation required

Lebanese diet was originally vegetarian during the week and on Sundays meals with preserved meat used to be cooked. Cutting down on meat can help in saving the planet. Indeed, meat production is energy-consuming, as it uses a lot of water and land while animal wastes contribute to air and water pollution. It is never too late to go back to our old healthy habits rather than ordering red tuna sushi fish that is overexploited and will soon disappear from the Mediterranean Sea. What to do before purchasing an item: Check labels to know where your food is coming from. Isn’t it ridiculous to buy strawberries in December when it’s more natural to wait until they grow in May in your own country? Eat seasonally: Check online for the winter and summer lists of fruit and vegetables. - Buy organic locally-sourced food, as the CO2 footprint required to ship and cool it is less harmful to the environment. - Buy a piece of meat only on occasions and don’t make it your daily food. Consider eating animal products less often and in smaller portions. - Look for products with minimal packaging. Less packaging means less energy and less chemicals.

-Be conscious of the amount of food you’re buying: Only purchase your needs and not in excess in order not to throw away food that has cost the environment loads of energy to produce. And remember that half of the human population is starving. -Avoid buying bottled water and install a waterfilter or buy recyclable gallons (widely available in the country). -If you’re a meat-eater, purchase it from El Marej in Abdel Wahab el Inglizi street , a grocery shop selling local organic meat free from antibiotics, hormones, or animal byproducts. -Ask yourself: Is the food I’m buying highly dependent on pesticides or fertilizers? Is this food safe? Does it pollute the environment? Is it grown and produced in local farms and sustainable businesses, using regenerative agriculture and smart energy? -Note that fruits and vegetables with the highest ‘pesticide load’ are: Zucchini, peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes. Change your diet and you would reduce your overall carbon footprint by consuming fewer animal products, fewer processed foods, and less food and packaging waste. Go for fresh, organic, seasonal, and locally grown vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

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Oily fingers

Ardouna praised for its green gold

he local olive oil industry is thriving, and that is an established fact. But every once in a while bestowing an award on olive oil producers can be both rewarding and encouraging to the sector. Leading the charge in local sustainable agriculture, extra virgin olive oil label Ardouna recently received a nod at the 17th edition of Horeca. The fifth National Extra Virgin Olive Oil contest of the hospitality and foodservice event recognized Ardouna as one of the top three leading bottles. Producers from all over Lebanon displayed their olive oil to a judging panel that included arbitrators from Lebanon, Jordan, Italy, and Cyprus. Georges Abou Jaoude, the man behind the label, was also distinguished in the “small producers” category for his 100-year-old groves in Mechmech, Mount Lebanon. Ardouna was founded in 2007 to acquire and develop olive groves in the mountains of Batroun region to protect and nurture the orchards. “It feels good to be given a prize for something that started out as a hobby,” says Mireille Korab of

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Ardouna. “It’s fun to go back to the roots.” Ardouna, which is working on obtaining an organic certificate, is not a commercial brand, she adds. “We do not aim to make profit but to benefit the rural area where people are attached to the land and to help at the social, environmental, and economical levels,” Korab continues.

bou Jaoude, who heads a number of companies including FFA Private Bank, believes olive oil making is in harmony with nature. “Making olive oil is an example of sustainable agriculture, allowing nature to produce a bounty in its natural form while employing local villagers to pick the olives… Providing jobs helps villagers remain near their homes, minimizing traffic and pollution while expanding greenery. The olive oil industry serves the landscape by maintaining natural greenery and preventing development, both of which benefit our environment.”

green queens

Certifiably different

A New Earth first fully organic store in Lebanon

nybody with a green artery would be happy to know that organic and eco-living store A New Earth became in April the first fullfledged organic store in Lebanon and the Middle East. Remo Ciucciomei, international chairman of The Mediterranean Institute of Certification (IMC), bestowed the store with the coveted certification. Obtaining the certificate might have been hectic, but maintaining it is ever more arduous, remark Sabine Kassouf and Layane Makarem, the ladies behind A New Earth, which is located in Zahrat el Ihsan Street in Ashrafieh. “Because of all the misconceptions and confusions around the term ‘organic’, we decided that our store would be 100 percent certified. No compromise,” Makarem says. “What IMC does is actually go through all our orders,” she continues. “Every time a new order arrives, we send them all the information they require, which are for each and single product,” she adds. This includes the name of the product, pack size, certification logo and body, organic certificate of the product, quantities, and origin of product. “The main idea is to check our ins (buys) and outs (sells) and make sure we do not sell more than we bought, which could mean we are buying a non-

organic product and selling it as organic,” Makarem explains.

here are also store checks, which means cleaning and waste management, Kassouf interjects. “We have to give them a list of how many times we dispose of the wastes, where we throw them, every time we clean the store and the products we use for cleaning – obviously many products are forbidden. So we stick to lemon, and vinegar.” Sounds like a non-stop load of work. “But the good thing is that the team is very friendly and helpful,” Makarem stresses. And how does it feel to snatch such a certificate? “Super proud,” they cry. “It,s a lot of administrative work, but it’s so rewarding to be recognized for what we do and celebrated for that too! It makes us want to go further more and keep up with the annoying part of the work,” Kassouf notes. Meanwhile, anyone interested in recycling their waste without a clear idea where to do that, here’s some “crushing news” for you: A New Earth has just installed recycling containers for cans, plastics, and paper. http://www.facebook.com/ANEWEARTHSTORE

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outside the box

Organic gets connected Online organic market BioBox

onsumers in Lebanon can now get their organic goody basket faster than ever thanks to BioBox â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an initiative that aims to boost the marketing of fresh organic products. Established with the aim of contributing to sustainable, social, and ecological balanced development, BioBox has literally made organic foods one click away by becoming â&#x20AC;&#x153;the first online certified organic market in Lebanon.â&#x20AC;? By selling to BioBox, which in turn sells directly to the consumers, farmers keep higher margins of profit that are usually lost to middlemen and whole sale conventional markets. The policy of BioBox is to gradually reduce its margins of profit so as to allow higher returns to farmers, and lower prices to consumers. Farmers will thus earn fair and better income, and consumers will purchase a healthy product without paying too much money. The more consumers buy organic, the more farmers will plant organic. And increasing production requires more land. The organic cultivation of land will reduce pollution caused by agriculture, hence improving overall wellbeing. After all, organic farming strictly prohibits the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, thus neither harming the soil nor water resources. This is translated as goodness for nature and the environment. To keep both farmers and customers happy, BioBox created a Website: www.bioboxlb.com. By logging on and registering,

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customers can pick from a wide variety of organic products ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables to baked goods, pasta, sauces, juices, pickles, among others. When online, users can check for the available products and their prices and keep track of their purchase history on their personal page. Orders are currently delivered on Mondays and Thursdays, and unsatisfied customers will get their money back. The Website will be introducing personal care and house care products soon. BioBox is certified by the organic inspection and certification body LibanCert, which means it can only buy and sell products that are certified organic, thus ensuring that the consumer receives proper organic products. Qualifying for the certification means that farmers are inspected by the LibanCert team on a regular basis. Samples of fruits and soil are tested for pesticide residues. There is also a strict system of traceability of inputs and outputs on the farms. BioBox is also supported by project Wataneh of Lebanese NGO Arc en ciel, the aim of which is Improving Lebanese Agriculture Competitiveness (ILAC), which is financed by the Spanish Development Cooperation AIDA/ AECID. BioBox has also set up a technical system of support to farmers if needed and aims to raise funds to implement projects that will later improve the organic market in Lebanon.

creative juices

The super naturals

Winning the age-old battle against wrinkles should not come at the expense of the environment

eversing the clock is an ongoing struggle that many of us take up with sometimes unimpressive results. So we choose what we think is the fastest route to youth by going under the knife â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or piling up on anti-aging lotions, most of which are packed with chemicals that can be both harmful to our bodies and the planet we walk on. We keep forgetting one golden rule: Going back to the basics. Few people realize that what they eat makes all the difference in the world. By consuming certain superfoods that are rich in vitamins, mineral, and antioxidants, we could be utilizing one of the most powerful weapons in our battle against the invasion of wrinkles. We have compiled a list of the most common natural, earth friendly anti-aging ingredients. Read on. Vitamin A: Helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin tone, and exfoliates the skin. Found in milk, eggs, liver, cereals, darkly colored orange or green vegetables, and orange fruits.

slowing down the aging process and its myriad positive effects on the body and skin. Found in super foods including spinach and broccoli. Beta-Hydroxy Acids (Salicylic Acid): Extracted from willow bark, it is used for exfoliation and unclogging pores. Found in green peas, green beans, celery, cabbage, and lentils. Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone): Naturally-occurring in our bodies, it is essential for cell functioning. It helps repair damaged skin and improves collagen. Found in red meat, fish, and whole grains. Phytessence Wakame: It helps moisturize the skin, keeping it smooth and elastic. It is seaweed from Japan, and usually comes dried and in sheets. Ellagic Acid: Helps moderately thicken the epidermis, and improves elasticity and collagen. Found in raspberries, cranberries, pomegranates, walnuts, and strawberries.

Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid: Reduces fine lines and wrinkles and improves collagen production. Found in red berries, kiwi, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and citrusy juices.

Hyaluronic Acid: Naturally-occurring in our body, it helps the skin retain water and remain hydrated, giving it a plumper and younger look. Found in soy, meats, and potatoes.

Vitamin E: Strengthens the skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s protective barrier, reduces scars, improves bad skin conditions, and fights sun damage. Found in vegetable oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.

Oils with high essential fatty acids: They are effective anti-aging ingredients. Examples include almond oil and Evening Primrose.

Vitamin K: Diminishes dark circles and evens out skin tones. Found in kale, collards, and spinach.

Essential Oils: Include Sandalwood, Geranium, Frankincense, Rose, and Neroli, all of which are used in various anti-aging products.

Alpha Lipoic Acid: It is a nutrient that has been hailed as the master of all antioxidants due to its high potency in

Shea Butter: Effective in tackling rough dry skin, as well as improving skin tone and elasticity.

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A walk in the park

The grass is looking greener… finally Words by Karah Byrns Illustration by Rena Karanouh

FacT: Construction is booming. Fact: Green spaces are vanishing. Myth: Lebanon is doing nothing about it. The truth is President of the Committee of Public Gardens in Beirut, Dr. Riad Alayli, delivers welcome news. After one and a half years of well-measured preparations, the committee is resurrecting a green plan from the post-war period, with some updated ideas to put Beirut back in touch with its green side. The plan includes the rehabilitation of the capital’s eight largest gardens, such as the beloved but sadly parched Sioufi, Sanayeh, and Hassan Khaled gardens that remain afloat amidst some of the most residential areas of the city. The five-pronged initiative also features the creation of eight new city gardens, a “green belt” walkway, a pine path from Damascus road to Badaro, and an action plan to make the city of Beirut more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly in general. “We’re planning to redesign everything with the pedestrian in mind,” says Alayli, citing the intersection near Mathaf as a prime example of what kind of changes the committee hopes to implement. “This roundabout was constructed with only cars in mind. Instead, we’re going to be thinking of potential changes in infrastructure differently – from the pedestrian’s point of view.” Reviving the green instincts of Beirut’s citizens – as a cornerstone of daily life – is one major force driving the project’s objectives. Beyond aesthetic landscaping adjustments, the committee would also like to see gardens brought to life by following a European example of transforming public squares into hubs of interaction, entertainment, and culture. “We want our public squares to feature the kind of thing you see in Paris or Milan,” Alayli confirms, adding that the green belt would also encourage interaction with nature and the community by following a layout that encircles the entire city, so that “every citizen is within close distance of a green walkway.” Alayli estimates that once launched, the project can be implemented fully in just 18 months. A public bid has been made in collaboration with the Ile de France Region and awaits a political nod from the new municipality. The committee aims for plans to be finalized by the end of the summer.

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Sanayeh

Rumors recently spread that the cherished garden popular with families was to be demolished and replaced by a shopping center, but Alayli confirms that no such plot exists. This garden famous for its curved lanes and purple and pink blossomed trees is as timeless as the heart of Beirut and is prioritized as a fundamental part of the preservation plan for the city’s gardens.

Sioufi

Overflowing with potential as a cultural landmark given its picturesque view of Mount Lebanon, Ashrafieh, and Beirut’s retired buses and train cars, this 20,000-square-meter garden offers an intimate breath of fresh air. Couples whisper sweet nothings on its winding paths that traverse charming ponds and steep rocks, and families of all faiths line the manicured benches of its upper entrance with picnics and strollers.

Hassan Khaled

This garden was built in commemoration of Hassan Khaled, the Sunni mufti nicknamed fondly as the “father of moderation” for presiding over Islamic courts in Lebanon for 23 years and serving as Head of the Islamic Coalition, with an objective to unify warring factions of the civil war. The small and angular multi-tiered garden preserves the memory of Khaled who was assassinated on May 16, 1989 by a car bomb. Though severely neglected, the garden seems to attract many poor or elderly patrons who appreciate the quiet and comforting spot as a place to stop, reflect, and recharge.

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Landscapes

The uprising of Sky Gate

“

e are going green!” You have probably heard that catchphrase one too many times lately. Is it just media hype or is there an element of truth in it, you ask yourself! The sad fact is that many companies in town are just blowing their horn to the greenest measures. Another statement you must hear a lot unless you purposefully clog your ears with superglue is: “The concrete urban sprawl and lack of greenery are appalling. And no one cares to do anything about it.” So is no one really going to greener pastures? Well, not no one.

Sky Gate, the latest project underway by real estate developer MENA Capital, stands on higher grounds – literally because it is located on the highest point in Beirut, and more figuratively because it boasts of 3000 m2 of landscaping and water features. “Seventy percent of the land is devoted to landscape while greenery is an overbearing feature of the whole of the building,” says Nabil Sawabini, chairman and CEO, MENA Capital.

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Nestled in a quiet neighbourhood in Ashrafieh, Sky Gate looks like an urban wall rising in the center of the capital with four shifting cubical volumes. “Every time a block shifts, you can actually see through it, and every time it shifts, there are gardens,” Sawabini adds. The avant-garde minimalism and geometric asymmetry of the landscape transform the structure into an urban Eden of sorts. The assertiveness of Sky Gate’s architectural façade is offset by the soft surrounding green – lavender leaves of the Jacaranda against a carpet of grey basalt stones and pebbles. This interplay between contrasting landscape elements captures the essence of the project: To blur the lines between vegetation and man-made structures until they become unified as one aesthetic whole. In this sense, the architecture becomes increasingly personalized by the presence of clean geometric landscapes and pristine spaces. The edifice, in fact, received a nod at the prestigious MIPIM 2009 in Cannes in the Tall Buildings category.

The landscapes of Sky Gate are crafted into an organic mosaic, accentuated by the omnipresence of water, textured minerals, and natural light. Infinity water features and pools are intersected by green installations, creating uniquely asymmetrical frames and an engulfing sense of serenity. The vegetation flows down the faĂ§ade, interlocking with the architecture and adorning the continuous stream of balconies and terraces. Potted Bonzai, fragrant, budding Gardenia, and sweet smelling Jasmine blend seamlessly with red Metrosideros and yellow Laurus. Combined they wrap around the perimeter, creating dense, colourful hedges, which provide a natural

barrier between Sky Gate and the world. With its long running track in the gardens, Sky Gate also invites a healthy outdoor workout as opposed to the standard underground gym â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the only building in Beirut with this plus. The building is green inside out: It employs top of the class green technology and environmentally friendly and quality materials. This includes using highly efficient equipment, installations, and water fixtures for topmost energy conservation. The development is due for completion in 2013. www.menacapital.com.lb

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Greener pastures

If these walls could talk

n this day and age, everything is going vertical, including greenery. Revolutionized by the iconic French botanist Patrick Blanc, vertical gardens or simply green walls are a unique approach to landscaping that makes one grow plants on walls. A trend in landscape design, the green wall is a sight for sore eyes, refreshing both the mood and the soul, and promoting a more eco-friendly lifestyle. And now an avant-garde quartet is bringing it to Lebanon. A venture of four friends – an architect, a landscape architect, a landscape engineer, and an economist – Green Studios saw the light last year with the challenge of making green walls available in town. In their workshop in Antelias east of Beirut, the fantastic four have identified a unique hybrid technique, which they say makes Green Studios a pioneer in the field of green walls. One of the founding associates who has 13 years in botany up his sleeve first realized a green wall in his plant nursery. The

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small design company labeled the green wall technique “made in Lebanon” in an effort to showcase Lebanon,s expertise in the field of plants, technology, and design. And now Green Studios boasts of three living walls available for the public. A blend of industrial design, landscape architecture, and botany offering a different spin on landscape design, Green Studios aims to be a boutique design platform anchored towards environmentally friendly urban solutions. It is a member of the Lebanese Green Building Council (LGBC), and is lobbying for greener awareness among key players in the construction industry. Whether indoors or outdoors, green walls elevate the mood, color up the room, and freshen up the air all the while softening the concrete character of our urban life. They also make developers and clients a step closer to a green building certificate. info@greenstudios.net

outer space

“I do” Love thein thegreen thing bushes

Words by Karah Byrns

estled among tall, proud pines and a resplendent valley, the Forest Venue in Adma Ghedress is a quiet, breathtaking newcomer to the notoriously extravagant Lebanese weddings and events scene. As a protest against the disappearance of green spaces in Lebanon and a testament to the emerging eco-friendly consciousness in the country, the Forest Venue was founded by Caroline and Joe Sokhn in order to create a space where events could occur in harmony with nature and the sentiments they are intended to celebrate. “It all started with the dream of an old boutique hotel for romantic celebrations and private events, away from the trends of flashy weddings and ceremonies denuded from genuine emotions,” says Caroline, explaining how the allure of a historical chapel tucked away in the wilds of the forest captured the couple’s imagination, spurring the motivation to build a oneof-a-kind venue that would be as captivating as it is environmentally friendly.

This summer, the Sokhn’s dream became a 9000m2 wooded refuge, boasting a 350-person capacity for outdoor religious ceremonies and 800-person capacity lawn garden with an immaculate view of the valley below. More impressive than the pristine panorama, however, is the passionate respect for nature that the

project demonstrates. Leaving the virgin forest and valley intact, the Sokhns collaborated with leading landscape architects to respect the environment as much as possible, adding 150 native trees to the area and avoiding the use of any potentially environmentally harmful materials in construction. “As a trendsetter in the event management industry, Lebanon has the potential to set an eco-friendly example,” says Caroline Sokhn. By showing respect for its own natural beauty that is unique to the region instead of destroying it, Lebanon can become a model of progress and professionalism for preserving nature in an interactive way. Creating a clear parallel between the sacredness of emotional milestones and the sacredness of nature, a strong social statement about valuing what so many Lebanese seem to have forgotten echoes loudly between the trees. Capable of hosting a wide variety of events, the Forest Venue officially launched on June 24, and welcomed its first wedding on July 1. The use of sophisticated light and sound engineering offset the untouched natural setting for unprecedented effects intended to enrapture guests and leave them with a lasting impression of not only the event, but of what it means. This summer, whispering “I do” has never been so equally elegant, glamorous… and green. www.theforestvenue.com

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Green and glam

Goody two shoes

The ethical fashion industry has been treading new grounds – with sexy Fairtrade, vegan shoes. Beyond talks to two designers who have been doing the right thing by nature and our feet. You’d think being good is boring and drab. Well, think again.

Photographs courtesy of Kailia Warren Difranco / After5Media.com USA

ew people are lucky enough to induce a major change and contribute to saving the planet. But Nancy Dong was too realistic to rely on luck alone. She employed that fierce tenacity revered in Far Eastern cultures. Her fascination with shoes was married to a desire for alleviating ecological ailments, bringing forth Kailia – a brand of designer and eco-friendly Fairtrade shoes. Having studied fashion design in the USA where she grew up and then shoe design in Paris, Dong currently resides in Italy where her vision continues to be realized. In the outset of her career, she worked for well-known fashion establishments. However, it was not long before Dong experienced inner strife right after becoming a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian, she was troubled by the fact that high-end shoes are made from leather. But while Dong was volunteering at a vegan fair, she encountered a couple trying to market a vegan shoe collection. This inspired her to launch her line of eco shoes – a brand she says has an American spirit, which embraces new solutions, while the style is rooted in Italian aesthetics and workmanship. Beyond – Most designers are opting for ethical fashion while you went for shoes. How come? Nancy Dong – Because there is a need in the

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market. Most of the vegan shoes out there are neither Fairtrade nor necessarily well made. Not all non-leather shoes are created equal. For the most part, they are still slapped together in factories where the workers are not compensated fairly. The materials used are not necessarily well researched or of good quality. I wanted to break the stereotype, prove that non-leather shoes can be beautiful, well made, eco-friendly, and Fairtrade. This is a difficult task, which very few companies are willing to tackle, but I consider it very important to take all of it into consideration.

B – How challenging is it to design, make, and market Earth-friendly footwear? ND – When I started nine years ago, I was ridiculed by people in the industry. I solicited the artisan shoemakers, who have been working with leather for generations, to be open to the possibility of working with non-leather materials. In Italy, that was simply unheard of! Moreover, doing business in a maledominated arena brought its own share of challenges. It has been a long and slow road towards growth. As more suppliers catch on to the importance of being eco-friendly, I in turn acquire more materials to work with. I belong to a handful of pioneers who are working out all the kinks to pave the road for future

newcomers.

B – Which materials do you use and how do you get them? ND – I source the world for the latest in vegan/ecofriendly materials that have a small carbon footprint. All the materials are sourced in Italy, France, and Spain – with the exception of the vintage saris, which come from India. Additionally, we source leatherlooking materials that are made from polyurethane, which is significantly less polluting than its evil cousin vinyl or PVC. I also use organic cotton, hemp, and linen fibers as well as natural latex, jute, and cork for internal components. All glues are water based, so it is not noxious to the workers. B – What makes your Spring/Summer collection stand out? Any particular theme? ND – It was inspired by colors and the simplicity of well thought out shapes. The Divinita, for example, is one my favorites. Because it is so essential, yet so dramatic with the sari tie. The Grazia sandal is a racy thong sandal with a 70mm heel – comfortable while offering utter elegance. The Victoria is the sister with a more traditional cut and with fresh floral prints on a white ground – perfect for a summer dress or a pantsuit. B – What kind of woman do you design for? Any plans to make shoes for men and children? ND – I design for women who appreciate beauty. She can come from all walks of life, but specifically I have the conscious woman in mind. Beyond aesthetics, she also cares about the environmental impact of her

purchase choices. I have clients as young as 18 and as youthful as 83 [President of the Vegetarian Society of San Francisco, who tap-danced in a pair of Sincerita.] With some luck, we hope to offer Kailia footwear to men and children eventually.

B – Where are you currently available, and which markets do you plan to penetrate? ND – The shoes are currently available in stores in the USA, Italy, Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland. But they are available for purchase online for global delivery. We are currently positioned for fashion boutiques, with emphasis on eco-fashion. We would love to offer Kailia to refined Middle East women, who are reputed to be appreciative of well-made products. B – What’s in the pipeline? ND – I wish to do a slightly more sportswearinfluenced line, with natural rubber bottoms and beautifully detailed uppers. As people have less disposable income, they tend to buy items that are more practical. Of course, beautiful heels with exquisite finishes will always be the core of Kailia; we hope to open the brand so women who do not wear heels can enjoy the shoes as well. www.kailiafootwear.com

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Green and glam

Sole reason Photographs courtesy of Beyond Skin

ould fashion and style be reconciled with conscience? Natalie Dean thinks so. The creative force behind Beyond Skin, which is an ethical footwear label propelled by a passionate belief in Fairtrade practices, Dean has numerous prestigious accolades to back up her argument. But make no mistake, being able to balance between eco-friendly, comfortable, and elegant when it comes to shoe design is no easy feat. Remaining true to her planet-preserving philosophy is what fuels her unceasing creativity, for the wellbeing of the Earth and its inhabitants is a priority without elegance ever taking a backseat. And as new eco-friendly materials become more readily available, the artistic playground for Dean expands – providing her with a wider arena to experiment with unique and eye-catching designs. It all started when she adopted a vegan lifestyle nine years back – that was when she realized that there were no fashionable/non-leather shoes on the market. Consequently, she decided to bring Beyond Skin to life – a decision that she has never regretted ever since. Beyond chats with the woman behind the UK brand.

Beyond – Is it more challenging to design, make, and market Earth-friendly footwear? Natalie Dean – Partly true, the design is the same as all designs. The manufacturing process can be a little harder sometimes as we have to ensure that no one

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is being exploited in the production of our shoes. All of our components are sourced from Europe – this minimizes air miles and supports EU manufacturing which is important to us. We carefully select fabrics, which we know our factory will be able to work with. There was a lot of trial and error at the beginning to get standards how we want them to be! We do not market our shoes as being solely eco-friendly; we also want people to know us for the fashion element.

B – Which materials do you usually use? ND – All of our shoes have insoles made from approximately 70 percent post-consumer cardboard. Our heels and top pieces are made from PU plastic, which are injection molded, and our soles are made from rubber resin of which approximately 70 percent has been recycled. Our satins are always made from polyesters rather than viscose. Our synthetic leathers are made from cotton-backed polyurethane (PU). PU looks a lot like PVC leatherette, but unlike PVC, it is much kinder to the environment. Although not an ideal alternative environmentally, we feel PU is clearly the less of two evils. B – What makes your Spring/Summer collection stand out? Any favorites? ND – It has to be the use of bright colors especially for Spring/Summer. We used fun prints, which is what we are known for as well as shiny faux patents and sensual satins. There were no themes; we do not really follow trends but just use materials and

colors that we love, and think our customers will love too. We really adore the Sunny wedge as it mixes the fun faux patents with a lovely wedge covered in flowery print. We also love Franklin, our trans-seasonal court that has a fun, modern banana heel adding a twist on a classic. We also have to mention Sapphire – our beautiful evening court shoe with a gorgeous art-deco inspired brooch on the toe.

B – What are the perks and drawbacks of what you do? ND – The drawbacks are the traveling and the tight periods in which we have to get things done. It is great having control of the designs, as we can make what we want! It is not so much fun when we are still here late at night trying to meet deadlines! B – Do you think eco fashion is a trend or here to stay? ND – Definitely here to stay, but in a different way to how we know it now. We think that ecofashion will simply merge in to mainstream fashion and vice versa.

B – You already make T-shirts. Any plans to expand your clothing collection? ND – Not at the moment but we would love to perhaps venture into the accessories market…it would be lovely to have a handbag or clutch to match our shoes! B – Where are you currently available, and which markets do you plan to penetrate? ND – We are stocked in boutiques worldwide as well as having our own website. We have recently done collaboration with Athropologie UK where we made flats pumps from gorgeous vintage fabric. We are also stocked in ASOS and Endless.com and soon to be stocked in Javari for AW10. B – What’s in the pipeline? What are your goals? ND – The ultimate goal is to have our very first standalone store, where we can interact and bounce ideas off our customers’ reactions. Also, we would love to be able to set up our own manufacturer providing employment for underprivileged workers. www.beyondskin.co.uk

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Welcome to my humble abode! It is zero carbon! Words by Dalila MahDaWi

hen buying a home, there are a lot of questions to be asked: Is it near work, is it quiet, is there a spare room to accommodate guests? Now that people are more aware about climate change, buyers might also inquire whether a house is energy efficient or environmentally sound. In Lebanon, where it is something of a tradition for families to build their own homes, there are slim pickings for those wanting environmentally friendly houses. Most real estate companies are more concerned with getting the bricks up than with how to maximize self-sufficiency. Although Lebanon’s construction industry is booming, few companies even offer such basics as proper insulated walls, solar powered heating, or double glazed windows. That could all soon change, though. Contractors Fadi Ayoub and Gilbert Masri are hoping to bring carbon free housing to Lebanon and Syria within the coming year. They want to start a franchise of the British company Zed Factory. Founded by architect Bill Dunster, Zed Factory is a leading international firm creating innovative low energy and low environmental impact buildings. Their carbon neutral

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offices and housing units have helped forge a new path in architecture, and have shown that sustainable building does not mean compromising style or quality. The project is one way people can reduce their environmental footprint, Masri says. “Our planet is sick and is crying. We need to do something – we need to heal it before it’s too late.” Daring dwelling Carbon zero houses might seem unusual but “they are better than the current type of housing,” says Ayoub. It uses the same surface area better. All construction materials will be locally sourced where possible, with specialist equipment being imported from Europe or China. Even the paint will be environmentally friendly. Ideal for a fuel and electricity-poor country like Lebanon, the houses will be able to produce their own power and heating, and will have good light, “unlike the catastrophes we see in Lebanon,” adds Masri. The houses will employ 100 percent renewable energy, generating and storing electricity through roof mounted turbines and photovoltaic panels. Toilets, sinks, and showers

will come designed for low water consumption, with rainwater being captured and stored on the roof. Such small changes will allow families to cut back on their energy consumption, save money on electricity and water bills, and play an active part in the fight against climate change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The buildings will resemble nature and will be very enjoyable to live in,â&#x20AC;? says Ayoub. The duo hopes that the Lebanese government will encourage further carbon free housing projects by offering tax breaks to owners. In England, one of the global leaders of carbon free housing, the success of Zed Factory pushed the government into establishing a special governmental department that researches how to best deliver energy efficient housing. The British government also waives stamp duty fees for zero carbon emission buildings. Lebanon is slowly moving towards similar policies, explains Masri, noting that the Energy and Water Ministry is contemplating lowering taxes and custom duties for those using renewable energy in their housing. It might seem farfetched now, but sustainable living is possible even in a country as chaotic as Lebanon, Ayoub continues. A number of carbon free houses have already been approved for a village outside Beirut. Masri says it is only with more carbon zero building that Lebanon might be able to bring itself back from the brink of an environmental calamity. Self-sufficient housing is especially necessary as it is estimated that 60 percent of all people in the world will live in urban areas within 20 years. Could this be the beginning of an environmentally friendly construction revolution in Lebanon? www.zero-co2-house.com

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Art And beyond

Bad waste to good taste Nives Cicin-Sain recycles trash to art

reating something out of nothing is brilliance; turning ugliness to beauty is divine. How or when Nives Cicin-Sain acquired the latter gift remains unknown. Maybe witnessing the ravages of war in her country has something to do with it, as Croatia’s separation from former Yugoslavia was a gory one. Or maybe her profound desire to salvage the environment sparked this innate ability. But whatever the reason, her waste-utilizing art is one of charm and beauty – a reflection of a deep-seated urge for creative expression. Stumbling upon the enchanting realm of papier-mâché in a magazine, Cicin-Sain was lured to experiment with the technique of constructing objects using pieces of paper stuck together by wet paste. “Once I started with the technique I could not stop,” she explains. “It brought out the sculptor and innovative explorer within me; my creations were so original that it resulted in invitation from the theater where I realized three independent production scene designs and created costumes.” 202

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Upon conceiving an idea for a creation, Cicin-Sain draws the design before searching for the adequate material. All elements are then band together with masking tape, upgraded with wire if necessary, before layers of papiermâché are deposited. She then adds glue used for wallpaper on leaves of toilet paper (at least four coats), which she uses for the lining of the construction. After it dries, a grinding phase using ground paper ensues. And then the final stage involves adding colors. Toss and turn Old bottles, plastic goblets, wire cords, cardboard packaging material, and various kinds of waste supplies are used as solid constructions, which are then covered with layers utilizing the papier-mâché technique. The final coating of the sculpture normally consists of old newspapers, recycled toilet paper, and paper towels. And the outcome is nothing short of spectacular. Love, friendship, and nature provide Cicin-Sain with an inexhaustible well of inspiration; everyday life is replete with insights. Consequently, her work spans across a wide array of creations ranging from artistic dolls

and masks to wall ornaments and large-scaled sculptures. She also designs unique jewelry, chairs, and illumination objects. “Range of work is constantly expanding, and there is no limit to the imagination,” she asserts. “I have already made book illustrations, and I have been lately engaged in digital fine art prints. I also plan to interconnect papiermâché with graphics and artistic photography.” Happy to grow through artistic creation and through stretching the limits of her potential, she relies on ethics to propel her to work until she is completely satisfied with the artwork that she is creating. The aim is always to transmit positive energy to the beholder. Indeed, Cicin-Sain is fortunate to have found her vocation in life. And that is why her admiration for artists who create with joy and whose dedication to their work remains uncompromised is very powerful. The process of artistic creation is an intimate affair and Cicin-Sain usually works alone. However, she remains keen on sharing her artistic knowledge and expertise with others through organizing workshops and publishing books. Spreading “green” awareness amongst children could

eventually be transmitted to their parents, she reckons. And people could be inspired far more effectively by expanding awareness through creative projects than by being subjected to repressive measures. As an eco-centric artist, Cicin-Sain does not use softeners when washing clothes, frugally uses washing machine and water; always recycles waste material, buys environmentally-friendly products, makes artwork out of waste, and teaches others to do the same. “I do not eat meat – for ethical and green reasons,” she continues. Almost every year, Cicin-Sain has one independent exhibition – usually held in various cities. She is currently preparing for a sculpture exhibition for the Archeological Museum in Zadar, Croatia, and is designing a graphic map on haiku poetry in collaboration with her coworker and graphic designer Anamarija Keckemet. “It would be a great pleasure to share my art and knowledge with people in the Middle East,” she maintains. “I would love to visit if there would be an opening for this enterprise.” www.nivescicinsain.com

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