04/05/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/05/2021 04:00
In 2018 the cost of environmental degradation (COED) averaged 4.4% of GDP equivalent to about US$ 2.35 billion as compared to a mean estimate of 3.4% of GDP in 2006 equivalent to US$ 0.56 billion; ambient air pollution and water-borne diseases being the main contributors[1]. Lebanon's biodiversity is facing various threats, inter alia habitat loss and fragmentation, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, pollution, invasive species, introduction of new improved varieties (agro-biodiversity), and climate change[2]. Forests are heavily impacted by deep-rooted unsustainable anthropogenic practices, which are radically challenging the survival of the species and the resilience of the stands. Forest fires and overgrazing are the key issues of concern followed by abusive wood logging and uncontrolled urban sprawl.
Environment is fundamentally a public policy in which citizens, both men and women, engage periodically. These mechanisms are clearly insufficient compared to the social accountability previous and current popular uprisings are calling for. Ever since the 2015-2016 garbage protests, there were visible signs of growing mistrust between Lebanese citizens and their elite, a mistrust that goes beyond Lebanon's classical confessional divides. In the recent popular uprising of October 2019, this distrust reached an apex. The unclear environmental policy orientations, the weak public enforcement capacity of environmental regulation, the poor environmental sector governance and a disregard for the environment-related public service delivery are reasons as important as others for citizen to express their need of a drastic change.
In December 2020, the European Union approved the programme EU contribution to Lebanon's reform, recovery and reconstruction following the Beirut explosions. Its second component aims at increasing the contributions of local authorities (LAs), non-state actors (NSAs) and micro/small/medium enterprises to the Green Agenda. This call for proposals focusses on LAs and NSAs:
The global objective of this call for proposals is to contribute to protect biodiversity and ecosystems in Lebanon through a two pronged-approach:
The specific objective(s) of this call for proposals are:
Lot 1: To protect biodiversity and ecosystemsthrough enhancing the management and governance of sites of ecological importanceand encouraging the creation of Protected Areas
Lot 2: To limit urban sprawl through encouraging integrated urban planning approaches
Lot 3: To strengthen the capacities of Lebanese Non State Actors to enhance the use of evidence and science in environmental policy-making and regulation (National)
Programme: Neighbourhood
Geographical Zone: Lebanon
Type: Action Grants
Published: 02/04/2021
Status: Open ยป 18/06/2021
Budget: 6,500,000 (EUR)
Reference: EuropeAid/171337/DD/ACT/LB
More information can be found here:
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChc...
[1] UNDP.
[2] Ministry of Environment.