Cimenterie Nationale launches green project

Initiative aims to block noise from Chekka quarry

Cimenterie Nationale has recently launched the Green Belt project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility engagement. The company acquired 70,000 m2 of virgin land around its factory’s perimeter in Koura and transformed it into green spaces. “This project is the first of its kind in Lebanon as we used unorthodox ways to reach out to our community and reduce the annoyance caused by our quarry,” said Roger Haddad, administration and communication manager.

The overall cost of the project is around $2.5 million. Cimenterie Nationale hired Ecomed, a French engineering firm specialized in natural preserves and environmental rehabilitation of quarries, to oversee the project’s implementation.

Haddad said: “The best part of this project that it was initiatied after a year and a half of meetings with locals to understand their needs. The initiative successfully did that.”

“The French Ministry of Environment was so impressed with what we have done that it sent a team to cover the story and air it on their local channels,” Haddad said.

The project involved dividing the area into different zones: A 10,000 m2 conservation zone separating the quarry from the nearby village of Bdabhoun, and a 25,000 m2 natural dynamics zone to block vision and noise resulting from the quarrying site.

The project also includes a 15,000 m2 interactive zone for picnics and recreational activities, a 7,000 square meters wet zone with a lake, and a zone dedicated for raising environmental awareness. “Under each tree is a plaque with the tree’s name, its origin, and its benefits,” Haddad said.

Some 1,300 trees and 3,600 plants were planted as part of the project.Local residents will be hired for harvesting crops and picking fruits. Cimenterie Nationale will also establish a bee farm in response to local calls.