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Good practice Imported

Anjar Cash-for-Work Forest Restoration — FAO/Republic of Korea Support for Refugee and Host-Community Reforestation (Lebanon)

Lebanon · Anjar · See the Lebanon profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 90% 27/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

FAO and Korea funded a $500,000 cash-for-work project in Anjar, Bekaa Valley, paying 192 Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese to produce 68,145 native seedlings and plant 37,545 across 25 ha, using Lebanon Reforestation Initiative's 76% survival-rate protocol.

500000 USD
Project budget (2019-2021)
192 people
Workers engaged in cash-for-work (2019-2021)
68145 seedlings
Native tree seedlings produced (2019-2021)
37545 seedlings
Native tree seedlings planted (2019-2021)
25 hectares
Area planted (2019-2021)
76 %
Average seedling survival rate (LRI national programme) (multi-year, 30+ sites nationally)
Anjar Cash-for-Work Forest Restoration — FAO/Republic of Korea Support for Refugee and Host-Community Reforestation (Lebanon)

Details

Maturity
Pilot
Promoter
FAO; Anjar Municipality; Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture; Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI); Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC)
Period
November 2019 – July 2021
Keywords
reforestation, cash-for-work, refugee livelihoods, forest restoration

Context

Between November 2019 and July 2021, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Republic of Korea funded a $500,000 cash-for-work reforestation initiative in Anjar, in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, targeting refugee and host-community livelihoods alongside forest restoration.

Objectives

To restore degraded forest land through paid work opportunities for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese residents, combining livelihood support with native tree planting.

Activities

The project was implemented jointly by FAO, Anjar Municipality, Lebanon's Ministry of Agriculture, the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI), and the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC). It engaged 192 Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese residents in cash-for-work activities, producing 68,145 native tree seedlings and planting 37,545 of them across 25 hectares.

Results

The project produced 68,145 native seedlings and planted 37,545 across 25 hectares in Anjar. Across LRI's broader national programme (30+ sites, 600,000+ native seedlings planted), average seedling survival was 76%, though no Anjar-specific survival data is available.

Conclusions

The multi-partner governance structure (FAO, municipality, ministry, LRI, AFDC) provides credible oversight, but the project remains a discrete, donor-funded, time-bound initiative rather than a certified or nationally scaled payment-for-ecosystem-services scheme.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Low (< €50k) — $500,000 total, funded jointly by FAO and the Republic of Korea.
Time to results
Medium (1–3 years) — November 2019 to July 2021, approximately 20 months.
Staffing & skills
FAO (funder/implementer), Anjar Municipality, Lebanon Ministry of Agriculture, Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI), Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC), 192 Syrian refugee and vulnerable Lebanese cash-for-work participants

Conditions for success

  • Multi-partner governance combining a UN agency, municipal government, national ministry and two NGOs
  • Use of native tree species aligned with LRI's national reforestation standards

Common failure modes

  • No Anjar-specific seedling survival data is available; the 76% figure is a broader programme average
  • Project is a discrete, donor-funded, time-bound initiative rather than a certified or nationally scaled PES scheme

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