Reforestation web map launched

Online tool to support municipalities and track progress

The Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI) has launched an online mapping platform to help promote sustainable reforestation. The project was made possible through the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Forest Service (USFS).

This map will help improve reforestation efforts by proposing sites and trees adapted to each one, as well as tracking the health of each planted tree.

It will also include an updated vegetation map of the country and a map of areas exposed to fire hazards.

The LRI is promoting the platform among different municipalities, especially in rural areas, to facilitate their reforestation efforts. “If a municipality has reforestation plans, they can use the data provided by the online platform to determine which areas are best for plantation and what type of trees can be planted there,” said Eliane Charbel, Mapping Component Coordinator at the LRI.

The platform benefited from donations and support. “The $100,000 license fee from GIS (Geographic Information Systems) was provided to us for free, in addition to $45,000 worth of satellite photos and other valuable data for free,” said Charbel.

“By September next year, our partner-communities will have planted approximately half a million native tree seedlings on more than 600 hectares,” said Richard Paton, LRI Project Director.