War damaged 90 percent of South`s vegetation - cluster bombs lengthen effect

Source: Daily Star, 25-8-2007
BEIRUT: More than 90 percent of the vegetation covering Southern villages was damaged by last year`s war with "Israel", according to a report published on Friday by the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC). "Damage from last year`s war has touched most of the Southern villages, as well as 94.6 percent of vegetation covering there, as a result of direct bombing, especially during the last days of the war," the report said.
It said that a total area of 1,021.3 hectares (712.5 hectares of forests and 308.8 of olives groves) were damaged. AFDC found that 37 percent of total damaged vegetation consisted of oak trees, 3 percent were pine trees and 60 percent were mixed forests. According to the report, the largest affected area was in Tyre, followed by Nabatiyeh, then Bint Jbeil.
AFDC, in collaboration with the Society for Austro-Arab Relations held a news conference at their Hamra headquarters late this week to discuss the impact of last year`s war on forests and rangelands in the South and assess the damage to livelihoods and the affected areas.
The report was conducted following extensive study of the vegetation of 26 southern villages. The report said that the 2006 war adversely affected the local population that benefits from forest resources, including beekeeping and animal grazing. Pine nuts and wood collection are common activities wherever significant forests exist.
AFDC`s post-war study said that over the next 25 years, Lebanon will lose a total of $94,150,000 due to the damage of 152 hectares of pine trees, with an annual average loss of $3,766,000.
It added that losses of $2,961,000 will result from the damage of 444 hectares of oak trees, an annual average loss of $987,000 for a period of the next 15 years.
In addition, losses of $43,225,000 will result from the damage of 308.8 hectares of olive groves, an annual average loss of $1,729000 over a period of the next 25 years.
Since all forest tree species and olive trees take several years to become productive, cumulative losses clarified the degree of economic impact the war will have in the agricultural and forestry sectors.
Therefore the total projected financial loss that will accumulate from the war was calculated at $140,336,000.
Adding to the direct damage caused by the war, AFDC said that the cluster bombs dropped by "Israel" last summer would prevent residents from accessing their lands and farms.
"The National Demining Office estimated the existence of 2.8 millions cluster bombs, from which only 60 percent were exploded, mostly in inhabited areas and not in forested and marginal areas," it said.
"These unexploded bombs represent an obstacle between the local population and the surrounding forest and rangeland areas. The average life of such bombs varies between 25 and 40 years making them an existing threat for the new coming generations of the local population," AFDC said.
The report suggested that the damaged areas need to be restored by replanting.
Following the findings of this preliminary study, AFDC has started, in collaboration with WWF-Italia and the Ross Programme of the Italian Cooperation, a project aimed at restoring more than 50 hectares of land in Jezzine and Arkoub.
The project will be achieved thanks to the assistance of 120 AFDC volunteers for early intervention in forest fires in cooperation with the Civil Defense and the Forest Guards Centers.
In addition, a tree nursery in the village of Mimes, in the Hasbaya district might be launched soon with funding from the Council of Development and Reconstruction and the World Bank to produce 60, 000 plants a year, including pines and olives, and to serve all restoration initiatives in the South.