On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Lebanese Ministry of Environment launched the National Week for the Prevention of Forest Fires under “Stop Fires” from June 5th to 11th.
The endeavor aims to raise national awareness about the importance of forest fire prevention and to reduce burnt areas this year by at least 25% of their annual rates.
The campaign was launched in cooperation and coordination with the ministries and official departments concerned with implementing the national strategy for the prevention and reduction of forest fires, in addition to the extensive participation of NGOs.
Partners in this campaign started their tour on June 5th, from Al-Qubayyat forests that were burned about a year ago, and then moved to other parts of Akkar where massive wildfires spread last year, swallowing forests and reaching homes.
The tour will be followed by a series of community activities and campaigns till June 11th and the campaign will continue throughout the fire season this summer and fall in various Lebanese territories.
The Minister of Environment, Dr. Nasser Yassin, confirmed that the ministry is working in cooperation with the Scientific Research Council and the University of Balamand to develop a fire risk indicator to activate an early warning.
That’s in addition to their work with the concerned parties on how to quickly intervene in the event of any fire, namely the civil defense, the disaster management, and the Lebanese army.
Dr. Yassin added that the ministry has cooperated officially with Cyprus and Turkey to help Lebanon in case of wildfires.
Related: Meteorologists Are Warning About Potential Fires Across Lebanon.
