MAGAZINE |

WORLD E N V I R O N M E N T

No07 /M

arch 2011w

ww

.worldenvironm

ent.tvW

ORLD ENVIRONMENT M

AGAZINE

07

International Yearof Forests

Celebrating Forestsfor People

2011

WORLD ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE is available online at www.worldenvironment.tv

WORLD ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINEMAGAZINE |

WORLD E N V I R O N M E N T

Number 07 | March 2011

CHAIRMANAndrea Tucci a.tucci@worldenvironment.tv

EDITORIAL DIRECTORCathy Chami Tyan c.tyan@worldenvironment.tv

EDITORIAL PROJECT COORDINATORMarc Wiliam Lowem.lowe@worldenvironment.tv

CONTRIBUTORSAbigail Alling, Fadi G. Comair,Piercarlo Crachi, Maria-AlejandraFaria, Hala Habib, RonyMecattaf, Gabriella Porilli,Mariejoe Raidy, Erika Roshdi,Amy Sim, Merlin D.Tuttle

CONCEPT & DESIGN

PHOTOGRAPHYAbigail Alling, Cetamada, Orla Doherty, Angelo Grilli, Mimo Khair, Studio Crachi,Michel Zoghzoghi

EDITING:Hala Habib

SALES ANDADVERTISEMENTSadv@worldenvironment.tvinfo@worldenvironment.tv

SUBSCRIPTIONS:Subscription@worldenvironment.tvP.O.Box 1396 Beit Mery, Lebanon

PRINTINGRAIDY | www.raidy.com

PUBLISHED BYWorld Environment Group

COPYRIGHTThe articles become part of the magazine’s archive. Furtherpublishings on other issues mustbe authorized by the editor following the author’s consent.

ISSN17379229

Eco-Living >96

Eco-Tourism >118

Sustainable Development >84

WORLD ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE’s policy is to use papers that are renewable, recyclable and from

sustainable sources. In addition, all waste is sent for recycling.

Biodiversity >10

Energy >78

Editorial > 4 For the Love of Our Forests

Biodiversity > 10 2011, International Year of Forests:

Celebrating Forests for People

> 20 Forest Genetic Resources: Bringing

Solutions to Sustainable Forest

Management

> 26 From Tequila to the “Tree of Life”

> 32 Born to Be in the Wild

> 46 The Race Against Time: Saving Coral

Global Warming > 54 The “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing

the Dream” Symposium

Water > 60 Integrated Water Resources Management

in the Mediterranean Basin (IWRM)

> 70 Water Resources in Lebanon

Energy > 78 The Energy Report

Sustainable Development > 84 Architect Youssef Tohme:

Out of Nature Comes the New Generation

of Eco-Friendly Designs

> 90 Ahmed Baghoum: Masdar the First

Eco-Friendly City in MENA

Eco-living > 96 China: Progress in Environmental

Information

> 104 The Museum of Libya: A Restoration Project

> 108 Online stakeholder engagement

Eco-Tourism> 112 Valnerina: Parco Nazionale Dei Monti

Sibillini

> 118 Madagascar: Preserving the Marine

Population

GlobalWarming

>54

Water >70

Hala Habib Was born and raised inNigeria. She studiedCommunication Media and Business Managementat BUC and has sinceworked in the field ofcommunication. She hasestablished and headed as editor-in-chief several

English-language magazines and contributesand edits magazines from different fields. She worked at the United Nations Children’sFund (UNICEF) from 2003 till 2010 asCommunication Officer and was in charge of a TV program for youth called SAWTNA.

Mimo KhairWas born in Lebanon. She graduated from TheAmerican University inBeirut and moved to NewYork at age 21, where shefirst discovered herpassion for art overall, andphotography in particular. She attended the Parsons

School of Design and later apprenticed withVietnamese photographer Noc Nol. Since 1996 Mimo's photography has spannedthe globe. Her photo exhibits mostly featureher favorite subjects: children, ancientmonuments, and landscapes from her travels.Since 1997, Mimo has led summer art campsfor children in Europe, the United States andthe Middle East. She founded the acclaimedBlue Star Youth Movement to foster buddingtalents in art and photography for teenagers.She currently lives in Shanghai with herhusband and young daughter and exhibits herwork internationally and locally in Shanghai.

Rony MecattafRony is an Executive Coachand Business Consultantwith a unique internationaland multi culturalbackground. He has had a wide range of clients, from globalcorporations to smallbusinesses to whom

he delivers one to one or group executivecoaching, seminars and workshops. His coaching approach benefits from an 18-year corporate experience as Sales and Marketing Manager, and as BusinessDevelopment Consultant, as well as from his training as a Coach (CoachU) and variousmodalities (NLP, Systemic Approach, Gestalt Therapy).Born and raised in Lebanon, he studied and lived in the U.S. and France for over thirty years. He recently moved back to Lebanon, where he is now based, but he travels extensively to France, the rest of Europe and within theMiddle East.Rony believes that his coaching style benefitstremendously from his background, bothprofessional and personal. He is able to understand the pressures thatlimit the personal growth and performance of today’s managers, and can be a greatcatalyst in their transformation towardsexcellence. His style is non-intrusive in that he will ensurehis client’s development pace corresponds to what is needed at that specific time. While coaching, Rony is fully in service of hisclient’s exploration of their full potential as a manager and as a human being.

Amy Sim Is Senior ProgrammeOfficer for Asia atARTICLE 19, a humanrights organizationprotecting and promotingthe rights to freedom ofexpression and freedomof information. Shecurrently manages the

Access to Environmental Information projectin China, and freedom of expressioncampaigns in the region. Prior to joining ARTICLE 19, she has worked atthe World Bank on community drivendevelopment programmes in Indonesia. In particular, she has designed and managed a pilot initiative using cultural resources tosupport poverty reduction and communityempowerment. She has also worked as ajournalist with the Singapore Press Holdings.

Mariejoe RaidyGrowing up in a regionknown for politicalupheaval and uncertainty,MarieJoe advocates for doing business inLebanon in a way that is environmentallyresponsible and ethicallydriven. As creative director

and as a shareholder in Raidy Printing Groups.a.l, she spearheaded an effort to adoptinnovative, eco-friendly printing techniques.When she succeeded, she had created the only printing company in the Arab worldrecognized by the renowned publishing house, Rotovision, UK. MarieJoe is not only focused onenvironmentally responsible businesses,but also establishing a norm of individual and corporate ethics. Working with theAmerican Lebanese Chamber of Commerce,she helped create the “Better Business Group”in Beirut, which encourages Lebaneseindividuals and corporations to adhere to a code of business ethics.In recognition of her demonstrated leadershipand trailblazing ways, MarieJoe was alsorecently asked to serve as Chair ofCommunication Committee in the LebaneseLeague of Women in Business, a Network Hubof the MENA Businesswomen’s Network.

Fadi G. ComairDirector of the General of Hydraulic and ElectricalResources of the Lebanese MinistryBorn in 1960 He graduatedfrom American universitiesof Texas and Harvard andFrench: Ecole Nationaledes Ponts et Chaussées

and UniversityClaude Bernard Lyon I with aPhD in energy. Mr. Comair is distinguished bywork experience unique in France, theresearch centers affiliated to the Ministry of Industry, working actively in varioustechnical committees responsible for draftingthe European Eurocodes, and was also co-editor of the French seismic rules between1992 and 2000. Returned to Lebanon in 1993,he was appointed first as CEO of the NationalOffice of Litani (ONL) and then as DirectorGeneral of Water Resources and Electricity. His many interests as the main negotiator on the Wazzani and Hasbani main tributaries of the Jordan and on transboundary rivers of Onronte and Nahr el-Kebir with Syria and its role in the formation of several delegationsfrom the Middle East hydrodiplomatie makehim the undisputed expert on water issues.

Piercarlo Crachi Was born in Italy,graduated in Architecturein 1991 from Rome andproceeded to obtain a PhDin Environmental Designfrom the University ofRome "La Sapienza" in1998. His professionalwork focuses on

architectural design, restoration, decorationand recovery of industrial design. Some of hismajor achievements included works on theArt gallery of the Capitol in Rome, theNapoleonic Museum in Rome, the TeatroTorlonia and the Museum Manzù as well asworks on garden theme in Ardea, AlcamoWine Museum and the Museum of Libya inTripoli. He has published several essays andarticles on architecture and design includingPisanti Castrucci and architects in Naples;Enzo Frateili: Architecture, Technology,Design; Three Projects Made in Rome; andThe New Museum of Libya in the People’sPalace of Tripoli. He has held several honoraryand distinguished posts amongst which arethe Register of Journalists since 1997,professor at the Faculty of Architecture at theUniversity of Rome "La Sapienza" from 1998 to 2004, and professor at the Faculty ofCommunication, at the same university from 2005 to 2007.

Abigail Kingsley Alling Co-founder and Presidentof Biosphere Foundation Abigail Alling co-foundedthe non-profitorganization, BiosphereFoundation (BF), in 1991 and continuestoday as its President. Biosphere Foundation

primary goal is to inspire intelligentstewardship of our biosphere. At present, BF is based onboard its researchvessel in Asia where its team has initiated coral reef, sea turtle and marine mammalconservation programs. Its projects over the past two decades haveincluded: a planetary coral reef expedition, a coral reef satellite mission, an ecologicalwastewater treatment system calledWastewater Gardens, and Mars On Earth – anR&D project to simulate a sustainable habitatfor a manned mission to Mars. Abigail has sailed the world’s oceans including a voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula to study humpback whale population genetics(in collaboration with the National Cancer Research Institute). At Biosphere 2 (1986-1994), Abigail created a million gallon coral reef and marshecosystem, served as Scientific Chief for morethan 60 research projects and was one of 8 “biospherians” to live inside the closed systemfor two years.She is a graduate of Middlebury College (Biology) and she also received an M.S. degreein Environmental Studies from Yale University.

CONTRIBUTORS

There is a popular saying that goes “Forests are the lungs of the

earth”. It’s a beautiful saying and very romantic but when one

thinks of the status of forests around the globe then it becomes

less romantic, actually it starts ringing alarm bells.

The warning has found kind ears with the United

Nations who has proclaimed 2011 as the International

Year of Forests (Forests 2011). World Environment

Magazine, an ardent enthusiast for the global

environment well-being is joining the United Nations

in its campaign to raise awareness on the important

role that forests play as the source of food security

and livelihoods for more than 1.6 billion people.

Here are some facts to consider when thinking

forests. Jungles and forests cover 31% of total land

area. Forests are home to 300 million people around

the world and are home to 80% of our terrestrial

biodiversity. Primary forests account for 36% of forest

area. Trade in forest products was estimated at $327

billion in 2004. Thirty percent of forests are used for production of

wood and non-wood products. These figures send shockwaves when

we realize that drastic measures should be taken both by

governments and individuals to stop and reverse the destruction cycle

to the earth’s lungs and thus to the basic existence of man.

Protect your forests, and join us in celebrating earth’s wonders with

the world’s forests, jungles, woods and mangroves. I protect forests,

therefore I exist!

Be the change, Act green, plant a tree, plant more, use less, protect,

and help slow down global warming. Organize environmental

initiatives, and adopt the green attitude in your home; in your school in

your office: print when necessary, do not use plastic bags, save energy

and water, recycle, walk to work... the possibilities are infinite.

In line with its environmental policy World Environment magazine uses

only recyclable paper made from wood grown in sustainable forests.

Our pledge is to plant a tree with each new membership to help

reforestation in Lebanon.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

For the Love of Our Forests

ENERGY 2050Jim Skea, Paul Ekins and Mark Winskel

The United Kingdom is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least

80% by 2050, a target that will only be achieved by transforming the way that energy is

supplied and used. At the same time there are anxieties about the security of energy

provision in terms of European dependency on natural gas and the reliability of electricity

supply. This book explores in detail those factors, which could help or hinder the

attainment of the UK's climate change targets, and how these factors interact with the

parallel objective of maintaining a robust and secure energy system. The book is the result of a major

national energy research effort by the UK Energy Research Centre, which includes some of the UK's leading energy

experts. The results and recommendations are essential reading for policymakers, professionals, researchers, and

anyone concerned with achieving large-scale reductions in carbon emissions, both from the UK and internationally.

WE BOOK

6

Claire Freeman

& Paul Tranter

In our fast-changing urban world,

the impacts of social and

environmental change on

children are often overlooked.

Children and their Urban

Environment examines these

impacts in detail, looking at the

key activities, spaces and

experiences children have and

how these can be managed to

ensure that children benefit from change.

The book seeks to embrace childhood as a time

of freedom, social engagement and

environmental adventure and to encourage

creation of environments that better meet the

needs of children.

THE BOOK REVIEW

BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM INSECURITYAhmed Djoghlaf and Felix Dodds

This book provides

an authoritative

and comprehensive

assessment of the

threats presented

to human security

and well-being by

the loss of

ecosystems and

biodiversity –

recently confirmed

as one of the

critical 'planetary

boundaries' that has already been exceeded.

Contributors examine the current trends and

state of biodiversity globally, the drivers of

biodiversity loss including climate change

and economic and population pressures, and

the mechanisms and policies needed for

conserving and restoring biodiversity in the

future. This volume is an invaluable resource

for conservationists, students and those in

the private and public sectors concerned to

redress the damage being done to the

natural world.

CHILDREN AND THEIRURBAN ENVIRONMENT

7

INTEGRATEDSUSTAINABLE DESIGNOF BUILDINGS

Paul Appleby

Integrated Sustainable Design of Buildings aims

to provide a guide to members of design and

master-planning teams on how to deliver sustainable

development and buildings cost effectively, meeting current and

emerging UK and international statutory and planning requirements.

Using a series of case histories and examples from the author's 10 years

of providing sustainability advisory services the book sets out a clear and

understandable strategy that deals with all aspects of sustainable design

and construction and the implications for delivery, costs, sale-ability and

long term operation.

The extensive scope includes all aspects of environmental, social and

economic sustainability, including strategies to reduce carbon

emissions and the impact of climate change.

REVIEW

GLOBALURBAN ANALYSIS

Peter J. Taylor, Pengfei Ni,

Ben Derudder,

Michael Hoyler, Jin Huang

and Frank Witlox

Global Urban Analysis provides

a unique insight into the

contemporary world economy

through a focus on cities. It is

based upon a large-scale

customized data collection on

how leading businesses use

cities across the world: as

headquarter locations, for

finance, for professional and

creative services, for media.

These data - involving up to 2000

firms and over 500 cities -

provide evidence for both how

the leading cities, sometimes

called global cities, are coming

to dominate the world economy,

and how hundreds of other cities

are faring in this brave new

urban world.

Written in an easy to understand

style, this book is a must read

for anybody interested in their

own city in the world and how it

relates to other cities.

HANDBOOK OF STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Barry Sadler, Ralf Aschemann,

Jiri Dusik, Thomas Fischer,

Maria Partidario and Bob Verheem

This authoritative handbook surveys the full breadth and depth of SEA,

bringing together a range of international perspectives and insights on

the theoretical, methodological and institutional dimensions and

practical issues of the field. It then subjects this conventional wisdom to

a critical reappraisal, looks at the vast lessons of experience and offers

new ideas and interpretations as to where the field is going.

All books can be bought online at www.worldenvironment.tv

THE BOOK REVIEW

5Which Kenyan environmentalist won the 2004

Nobel Peace Prize?

8The US is the

world's biggest

emitter of

greenhouse gases.

Which country is

the second biggest

emitter?

a. India

b. China

c. Russia

d. Nigeria

7According to the

most recent

estimates, how

many billion metric

of carbon dioxide does

mankind pump into the

atmosphere annually?

a. 1.1 billion

b. 2.2 billion

c. 4.4 billion

d. 6.6 billion

THE WE QUIZ ANSWERS

1: 16 million

2:Walden, or Life in the Woods

3: The Limits to Growth

4: Only One Earth

5: Wangari Maathai

6: 25 percent

7: China

8: 6.6 billion

QUIZ1According to the United Nations

Environment program, how many

hectares of tropical rainforest are

being lost each year to the logging industry?

a. 500,000

b. 3 million

c. 10 million

d. 16 million

2Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

is considered one of the pioneers of

the environmental movement.

What is his most famous book called?

a. Walden, or Life in the Woods

b. Arden, or Walks through the Forest

c. Verden, or Diary of a Meadow

d. Smarden, or Musings on a Pond

3In 1972 a group of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology produced a hugely influential report warning of envi-

ronmental catastrophe unless mankind did more to protect the

earth's resources. What was the report called?

a. The Ends of the Earth

b. The Limits to Growth

c. The Need to Change

d. The Exhausted World

a. Ali Kaka

b. Isaac Maina

c. Wangari Maathai

d. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka

4The 1972 United Nations

Conference on The Human

Environment, held in

Stockholm, is generally

regarded as the first concerted

international attempt to address

environmental issues. What was

the conference's motto?

a. Only One Earth

b. Securing Our Future

c. The World As One

d. Protecting Our Legacy6At current rates of extinction, it is estimated

that what percentage of the world's mammals

will disappear over the next 30 years?

a. 5 percent

b. 10 percent

c. 25 percent

d. 40 percent

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

INTERNATIONALYEAR OF FORESTS CELEBRATING FORESTSFOR PEOPLE2011

13

Biodiversity

The United NationsGeneral Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable manage-ment, conservation and sustainable development ofall types of forests.

Forests are a key part toward the

shift toward a "greener" eco-

nomy said a cadre of U.N. offi-

cials as the body officially launched

its International Year of Forests to

highlight the global importance of

forests.

"Every one of us, all seven billion

people on earth, has our physical,

economic and spiritual health tied

to the health of our forest ecosys-

tems," said Jan McAlpine, the Di-

rector of the U.N. Forum on Forests,

in a statement.

"Forests are also cornerstones of our

economies, whose real value has all

too often been invisible in national ac-

counts of profit and loss," added

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of

the U.N. Environment Program.

To mark the beginning of the Interna-

tional Year of Forests, the U.N. Food

and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

released The State of the World's Fo-

rests (SOFO), a report that comes out

every two years and assesses the sta-

tus of global forest resources.

SOFO 2011 includes information on

trends in forest management, pro-

duction of forest products, and raw �

14

forest cover data. The report notes

that the forestry sector is working to

reduce its impact on the environment

through better forest management

and improved energy efficiency in

production of forest products.

The International Year of Forests

comes at what could represent a

transition point for forests. Defores-

tation rates are slowing and policy-

makers are showing unprecedented

interest in protecting forests as a cli-

mate change mitigation strategy

known as REDD (Reducing Emis-

sions from Deforestation and Degra-

dation). Some governments have en-

acted laws restricting trade in

illegally logged timber, while retailers

are showing new concern on the ori-

gin of forest products.

But risks to forests remain. Rising

demand for food, fiber, and fuel will

put pressure on remaining forest

lands while climate change could

increase the vulnerability of some

forests to drought, fire, and disease

outbreaks. Poor design, insufficient

governance, and entrenched inte-

rests in the forestry sector intent on

maintaining the status quo could

undermine the REDD mechanism,

hurting a key potential source of

funding for forest protection and

management.

Forest cover in tropical countries, excluding ‘planted forests’(million hectares)

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0

1990 2000 2005 2010

Others

Peru

Brazil

Mexico

Indonesia

DR Congo

�

�

17

Biodiversity

Change in annual deforestation rate 2000-2005 vs 2005-2010

Increaseddeforestation

Decreaseddeforestation

Indonesia

Peru

Madagascar

Mali

Guatemala

Bolivia

Malaysia

Solomon Islands

Thailand

Nicaragua

Cameroon

Senegal

Brazil

Cambodia

Laos

Mexico

mongabay.com-120% -90% -60% -30% 0% 30% 60% 90% 120%

7%

-14%

-17%

-21%

-21%

-22%

-24%

-37%

8%

9%

13%

27%

32%

36%

94%

107%

GLOBAL FORESTS According to FAO data released last

year, forests presently cover around

31 percent of global land area, or

nearly four billion hectares.

FAO figures show deforestation

across 121 tropical countries avera-

ged 9.34 million hectares per year

between 2000 and 2010, down from

11.33 million hectares per year in the

1990s. The decline has accelerated

since 2005 due Brazil's dramatic re-

duction of deforestation in the Brazi-

lian Amazon, which peaked at 27,772

square kilometers in 2004 but is ex-

pected to come in at less than 8,000

for 2010. Overall Brazil's reduction in

deforestation since 2005—which fell

from 3.2 million hectares per year

from 2000-2005 to 2.5 million hec-

tares in 2005-2010—more than offset

increases in forest clearing in other

DI D YOU KNOW?- Forests are home to 80% of ourterrestrial biodiversity.

- Forests cover 31% of totalland area.

- Trade in forest products wasestimated at $327 billion in 2004.

- 30% of forests are used forproduction of wood andnon-wood products.

- Forests are home to 300 millionpeople around the world.

- Primary forests account for 36%of forest area.

- The livelihoods of over 1.6 billionpeople depend on forests.

�

major forest countries including In-

donesia (107 percent increase), Peru

(94 percent), and Madagascar (36

percent) during the period.

FAO estimates global deforestation

fell from 16 million hectares per year

in the 1990s to 13 million hectares

per year in the past decade. Factoring

in planted forests, the rate of forest

loss fell from 8.3 million hectares per

year to 5.2 million hectares, an area

about the size of Costa Rica.

Primary forest, the most carbon-

dense and biologically diverse form of

forest, declined by more than 40 mil-

lion hectares over the past decade, pri-

marily a result of first-time logging.

FORESTSARE ALSOCORNERSTONES OFOUR ECONOMIES,WHOSE REAL VALUEHAS ALL TOO OFTENBEEN INVISIBLEINNATIONAL ACCOUNTSOFPROFITAND LOSS

18

The UN RESOLUTION adopted by the General Assembly International Year of Forests, 2011

Reaffirming its commitment to the Non-legally BindingAuthoritative Statement of Principles for a GlobalConsensus on the Management, Conservation and Sus-tainable Development of All Types of Forests and Agenda21, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Envi-ronment and Development, the United Nations Millen-nium Declaration, adopted at the Millennium Summit in2000, the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable De-velopment and the Plan of Implementation of the WorldSummit on Sustainable Development, adopted at theWorld Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Jo-hannesburg, South Africa, in 2002,Recalling the Convention on Biological Diversity, theUnited Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange, the United Nations Convention to CombatDesertification in Those Countries Experiencing Se-rious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly inAfrica, and other relevant conventions dealing with thecomplexity of forest issues,Recognizing that forests and sustainable forest manage-ment can contribute significantly to sustainable develop-ment, poverty eradication and the achievement of inter-nationally agreed development goals, including theMillennium Development Goals,Recalling Economic and Social Council decision2006/230 of 24 July 2006,Emphasizing the need for sustainable management of alltypes of forests, including fragile forest ecosystems,Convinced that concerted efforts should focus on rai-sing awareness at all levels to strengthen the sustainable

management, conservation and sustainable develop-ment of all types of forests for the benefit of current andfuture generations,1. Decides to declare 2011 the International Year of

Forests;2. Requests the secretariat of the United Nations Forum

on Forests of the Department of Economic and SocialAffairs of the Secretariat, to serve as the focal point forthe implementation of the Year, in collaboration withGovernments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forestsand international, regional and sub-regional organiza-tions and processes as well as relevant major groups;

3. Invites, in particular, the Food and Agriculture Organi-zation of the United Nations, as the Chair of the Colla-borative Partnership on Forests, within its mandate, tosupport the implementation of the Year;

4. Calls upon Governments, relevant regional and in-ternational organizations, and major groups to sup-port activities related to the Year, inter alia, throughvoluntary contributions, and to link their relevant ac-tivities to the Year;

5. Encourages voluntary partnerships among MemberStates, international organizations and major groups tofacilitate and promote activities related to the Year atthe local and national levels, including by creating na-tional committees or designating focal points in theirrespective countries;

6.Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Gene-ral Assembly at its sixty-fourth session on the state ofpreparations for the Year.

FOREST GENETIC RESOURCESBRINGING SOLUTIONS TO SUSTAINABLEFOREST MANAGEMENT

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

Forests are complex ecosystems that cover 30 percent of the global landarea, providing habitat for countless terrestrial species. Forests are vital forlivelihoods as well as economic and social development, providing food,raw materials for shelter, energy and manufacturing. They are also critical for environmental protection and conservation of natural resources. Forests contain more carbon than the atmosphere. With climate change, forests, with their dual roles as both producers and absorbers of carbon, take on a new importance.�

Genetic diversity provides the

fundamental basis for evolu-

tion of forest tree species.

This diversity has enabled forests and

trees to adapt to changing and ad-

verse conditions for thousands of

years, and has resulted in a unique

and irreplaceable portfolio of forest

tree genetic resources.

Nevertheless, the vast majority of fo-

rest genetic diversity remains unk-

nown, especially in tropical forests.

Estimates of the number of tree spe-

cies vary from 80,000 to 100,000, yet

fewer than 500 have been studied in

any depth for their present and future

potential. Until recently, studies of fo-

rest tree genetic resources have

concentrated on domesticating those

few deemed most applicable for wood,

fibre and fuel production from planta-

tions and agroforestry systems.

As a result of pressures on forest lands

and the effects of unsustainable use of

forest resources, the great potential of

forest genetic resources is at risk of

being lost forever, before it can be iden-

tified, let alone utilized. Forest loss and

degradation remain major global

concerns despite the enormous efforts

to achieve sustainable forest manage-

ment. There is also increasing aware-

ness of the critical values that forest

genetic diversity provide per se and as

means to confront global challenges,

such as climate change.

SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT: FOCUS ON FOREST GENETIC RESOURCESUnderstanding and managing forest

tree genetic diversity is important in all

types of forests. Monitoring the diver-

sity of tree populations in primary fo-

rests can improve our knowledge on

how ecosystem services and goods are

being delivered. Intensive genetic se-

lection and breeding takes place in

plantation and agroforestry systems.

The sustainable management of fo-

rests requires a better understanding

of the specific features of forest trees

and their genetic diversity. Forest tree

species are generally long lived and ex-

tremely diverse. One species can natu-

rally occur in a broad range of ecologi-

cal conditions.

22

In addition, forest species have evol-

ved under several periods of climatic

change; their genetic variability pro-

vides the capability to adapt to emer-

ging climatic conditions.

Trees have different mechanisms for

natural seed dispersal allowing trees

to migrate over large distances. Ho-

wever, even this important characte-

ristic might not be sufficient for many

species to survive today’s rapidly shif-

ting climatic zones.

Forest trees are generally managed

with long rotation periods (the time

between regeneration and harvesting),

from 5-10 years and up to 150-200

years. With climate change it can no

longer be assumed that today’s gro-

wing conditions will be the same in 100

years and adaptability to change over

lengthy rotation periods will increasin-

gly be an important management

consideration. Forest genetic re-

sources have provided the potential for

adaptation in the past, and will conti-

nue to provide this vital role as we ad-

dress the challenge of mitigating or

adapting to further climate changes. In

developing sustainable forest mana-

gement, forestry practices that main-

tain genetic diversity over the longer

term will be required.

Maintaining evolutionary processes

and genetic diversity within forest

tree populations requires a “dynamic

gene conservation” approach. Such

an approach is based on managing

tree populations within the environ-

ment to which they are adapted (in

situ), or artificial, but dynamically

using tree populations removed from

their natural habitats (ex situ). In re-

cent decades, countries have establi-

shed conservation areas, such as fo-

rest gene conservation areas.

However, the selection, management

and monitoring of such areas would

in general benefit from better plan-

ned and coordinated action to effec-

tively conserve the genetic diversity

of species that are often found

across several countries and re-

gions. Exchange of information, me-

thodologies and experiences, and

coordination of efforts will be crucial

in the future. The sustainable use of

forest genetic resources, including �

25

THREATS TO FOREST GENETIC DIVERSITYDeforestation: Each year, 13 million hectares of forests arebeing lost, mainly through conver-sion to other land uses. While thisloss is somewhat offset by 5.7 mil-lion ha of new forest restorationand afforestation annually, theearth is still losing some 200 km2

of forests each day. It is impossibleto accurately estimate genetic lossthat is resulting from deforestationand forest degradation given ourgeneral lack of knowledge of forest genetic resources. However,there is little doubt that deforesta-tion and forest degradation resultin many cases in genetic erosion.

Climate Change: Changingweather patterns are altering thegrowing conditions for forest treesas well as the population dynamicof the pests and diseases that attackthem. In Canada, cold winters usedto prevent or reduce the spread ofa bore beetle plague. The insect isnow, with warmer winters, expan-ding into new areas and attackingpine trees that have no resistance,and therefore threatening the gene-tic diversity of forest populations.Improving knowledge of forest genetic diversity, including on pestresistance, will be increasingly important in forest management, as this example illustrates.

the appropriate selection of forest

seed and germplasm management

are fundamental in forest planta-

tions. The right match of species and

seed source according to site condi-

tions, combined with proper silvicul-

ture can improve productivity by well

over 20%. Forest genetic resources

provide important traits for increa-

sing productivity and quality of out-

puts, and enables adaptation to bio-

tic and abiotic stressors.

THE COMMISSION ON GENETICFOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE:INTEGRATING THE POTENTIALOF FOREST RESOURCES The field of forest genetic resources is

undergoing significant changes. Tradi-

tionally concerned with technical is-

sues of genetic conservation, tree im-

provement and seed supply, the scope

of genetic management is expanding

to include ecosystem services. Scien-

tific advances in biotechnology and

legal developments concerning ex-

change of genetic resources bring new

possibilities and challenges,which re-

quire development of an enabling po-

licy environment.

The Commission on Genetic Re-

sources for Food and Agriculture is

well-positioned to link forest genetic

resources to relevant global policy is-

sues, and integrate this area into

cross-sectorial strategies. Under its

Multi-Year Programme of Work

(MYPOW) the Commission is wor-

king with its member nations to

survey what is currently known

about the world’s forest genetic re-

sources, which will enable the pre-

paration of the first State of the

World’s Forest Genetic Resources.

The State of the World’s Forest Ge-

netic Resources will be based on in-

formation from country reports and

results of thematic studies on im-

portant issues related to the

conservation and management of

forest genetic resources.

The preparation of The State of the

World’s Forest Genetic Resources

will be undertaken in synergy with

other activities of the FAO Forestry

Programme, in particular the Global

Forest Resource Assessment (FRA).

The Committee on Forestry (COFO)

and the FAO Regional Forestry Com-

missions will be involved in the pro-

cess. FAO will seek cooperation and

synergy with relevant regional and

global programmes and instru-

ments, such as the Convention on

Biological Diversity.

The State of the World’s Forest Gene-

tic Resources will provide the basis

for developing a framework for action

at national, regional, eco-regional

and global levels.

�

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

By Dr. Merlin D. TUTTLE, Honorary Ambassadorfor the Year of the Bat campaign

27

From tequila to the 'tree of life',

BATS ARE NATURE'SINVALUABLE ALLIES

Were you aware thatbats are key pollinatorsin many parts of theworld? Pollination is avital ecosystem servicewithout which manyof our key industriessuch as agriculture andp h a r m a c e u t i c a l swould collapse orincur heavy costs forartificial substitution.TEEB has found that insome estimates, over75% of the world’scrop plants, as well asmany plants that aresource species forpharmaceuticals, relyon pollination by ani-mal vectors.

Biodiversity

�

28

Furthermore, for 87 out of 115

leading global crops (represen-

ting up to 35% of the global food

supply), fruit or seed numbers or

quality were increased through ani-

mal pollination. Bats also provide a

wide range of ecosystem services

which benefit mankind from insect

deterrent to bat guano fertilizer.

BAT POLLINATORS: TEQUILA AND THE TREE OF LIFEMore than 1,200 species of bats com-

prise nearly a quarter of all mam-

mals, and their ecological services

are essential to human economies

and the health of whole ecosystems

worldwide. Without bats, costly crop

pests would increase, forcing greater

reliance on dangerous pesticides. We

could also lose some of our favorite

foods and beverages and suffer the

consequences of greatly diminished

biodiversity.

Many of our most important foods

come from bat-dependent plants.

These include bananas, plantain,

breadfruit, peaches, mangos, dates,

figs, cashews and many more. In fact,

in an average tropical food market,

approximately 70 percent of the fruit

sold comes from trees or shrubs that

rely heavily on bats in the wild. Some

such as the famous durian still rely

on bat pollinators even in commercial

orchards. This king of Asian fruits

sells for a billion dollars annually, but

could be lost without healthy popula-

tions of its bat pollinators.

In East Africa nectar feeding bats are

essential to fruit production of the

Baobab tree, sometimes referred to

as the African Tree of Life due to the

exceptional variety of wildlife that de-

pend on it for food and shelter. Re-

cently, it has additionally become

known as the Vitamin Tree. Baobab

fruits contain six times as much vita-

min C as oranges; twice as much cal-

cium as milk, are rich in other vita-

mins and antioxidants and may soon

become a billion dollar a year crop.

In deserts, from the southwestern

United States to southern Peru, more

than 100 species of cactus and agave

plants rely on bats for pollination.

Giant, columnar cactus plants, such

as the famous saguaro and organ

pipe, are heavily relied on for food and

shelter by a wide variety of birds and

mammals, and agaves are extremely

useful in erosion control, as orna-

mentals and as the source of all te-

quila liquor. The world's thirsty Mar-

garita drinkers can definitely raise a

glass in praise of bats.

BATS: NATURE'S NATURAL PESTICIDEBats also provide an essential ecosys-

tem service known as "biological

control." Natural pests and diseases

are usually regulated by a wide range

of predators and parasites. TEEB has

found that agricultural pests cause si-

gnificant economic losses worldwide.

Globally, more than 40% of food pro-

duction is being lost to insect pests,

plant pathogens, and weeds, despite

the application of more than three bil-

lion kilograms of pesticides to crops,

plus other means of control. Natural

control of pests is to date one of the

most effective means of dealing with

these threats. Bats are essential pre-

dators which keep many damaging in-

sects from destroying crops.

The colony of 20 million free-tailed

bats that lives in Bracken Cave near

San Antonio, Texas, for example,

consume 200 tons of insects nightly,

predominantly crop pests such as

corn earworm and armyworm

moths. Just one of these bats can

catch enough moths in one night's

feeding to prevent 50,000 or more

eggs from being laid, resulting in

NATURAL CONTROLOF PESTSIS TO DATE ONE OF THE MOSTEFFECTIVE MEANSOF DEALING WITHTHESE THREATS

IN AN AVERAGETROPICAL FOODMARKET, APPROXIMATELY 70 PERCENT OF THEFRUIT SOLD COMESFROM TREES ORSHRUBS THAT RELYHEAVILY ON BATS INTHE WILD

Biodiversity

29

local cotton growers saving close to a

million dollars annually in reduced

need for pesticides.

A single mouse-eared bat (wides-

pread in Europe and North America)

can capture 1,000 or more mosquito-

sized insects in just one hour. A co-

lony of 150 big brown bats, a number

that could live in a backyard bat

house, can capture enough cucum-

ber beetles in a summer to prevent

them from laying 33 million eggs that

would otherwise hatch into corn root-

worms, a billion-dollar-a -year pest

in the United States.

In many locations, bats can be easily

attracted to bat houses to help pro-

tect gardens and organic farms.

Outstanding success has been re-

ported from Oregon to Georgia in

the United States, probably because

many of our worst insect pests lis-

ten for bat echolocation signals and

flee areas where bats are heard. A

pecan grower in Georgia reports ha-

ving become entirely organic since

he attracted thousands of bats to

extra large bat houses in his or-

chard. So the next time you think or-

ganic, think "bats."

BAT FERTILIZERBats are also the primary energy pro-

ducers for many cave ecosystems.

Guano deposits beneath their roosts

provide energy that sustains thou-

sands of unique life forms, from bac-

teria and fungi to arthropods and

small vertebrates. These organisms

are often endemic to a single cave or

cave system, but provide a potential

treasure trove of biodiversity needed

for solving human problems, from

production of new antibiotics and ga-

sohol to improved detergents and

waste detoxification.

Additionally, extraction of bat guano

for fertilizer provides an invaluable re-

newable resource for whole commu-

nities in developing countries from

Asia and Africa to Latin America. For

example, due to this eco-service of

bats, Thailand's Khao Chong Pran

Cave has become a major source of

income for the local community, as

well as a unique tourist attraction. �

A PECAN GROWERIN GEORGIA REPORTSHAVING BECOME ENTIRELY ORGANICSINCE HE ATTRACTED THOUSANDS OF BATS TO EXTRALARGE BAT HOUSES IN HIS ORCHARD

30

Careful protection and harvest mana-

gement have allowed annual Guano

sales to increase from $10,000 to

$135,000. Bat Guano is big business.

FROM TERROR TO TOURIST ATTRACTIONAs people learn to appreciate bats,

these fascinating animals are paving

the way for popular tourist attrac-

tions. When 1.5 million free-tailed

bats began moving into crevices be-

neath the Congress Avenue Bridge

in downtown Austin, Texas, health

officials warned that they were rabid

and dangerous, and local people

wanted the bats eradicated. Howe-

ver, through the educational efforts

of Bat Conservation International,

fears were calmed, and in more than

30 years, not a single person has

been harmed. The bats consume

roughly 15 tons of insects nightly and

attract 12 million tourist dollars

each summer, clearly demonstra-

ting the value of bats to our environ-

ment and economies.

YEAR OF THE BAT 2011-2012Unfortunately, many people in other lo-

cations around the world still misun-

derstand, fear and persecute bats at

great harm to themselves. Too many

have heard only of vampires and di-

sease, both of which have been greatly

exaggerated by sensational media sto-

ries. Needlessly fearful humans, in

Latin America, have mistakenly des-

troyed thousands, even millions of

highly beneficial bats at a time by sea-

ling, burning or poisoning roosts, espe-

cially in caves, and many more bats

have been lost through simple neglect

of their conservation needs. Ironically,

even the common vampire bat of Latin

America has proven useful. A new drug,

Desmoteplase developed from re-

search on vampire saliva, appears to

greatly improve treatment of stroke vic-

tims, a potentially enormous contribu-

tion to human wellbeing. Who would

have thought that a bat - and a vampire,

at that - could help save countless lives?

Year of the Bat (2011-2012) celebra-

tions will highlight bat values and

�

THE CAMPAIGNYear of the Bat 2011 - 2012 is a global campaign to promote conser-vation, research and education aboutthe world's only flying mammals. Yearof the Bat is supported by the UnitedNations Environment Programme, theConvention on the Conservation ofMigratory Species and EUROBATS,as well as numerous partner organizations around the world.Additional information for this articlewas provided by The Economics ofEcosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB).

needs, providing unique introductions

to these incredibly fascinating animals

that unfortunately rank among our

planet's least understood and most ra-

pidly declining and endangered ani-

mals. But as more people learn about

and account for the ecosystem ser-

vices provided by bats, greater conser-

vation efforts will be made to ensure

the survival of these fascinating and

essential creatures.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

Tiger streching in the morning sunlight - Bandhavgard National Park, India

BORNTO BE IN

THE WILDBy MarieJoe RAIDY

Mother and cub lions - Masai Mara, Kenya

Male and female lions - Masai Mara, Kenya

Mother and cub tigers -Bandhavgard National Park, India

Cheetah - Masai Mara, Kenya

There were originally nine tiger subspecies, three of which are nowextinct: The Bali tiger met its end in the 1940's, the Caspian in the1970's and the Javan in the 1980's. The Indochinese, the Sumatran,the Bengal, the Siberian, the Malayan Tiger and the South China tigerstill survive, yet it is estimated that today, there are only 2,500 tigersin the wild, and less than 10,000 kept in captivity in American zoos.The biggest tragedy is that although this specie is highly endangered,it has become the focus of a lucrative tiger-part trade to China. Eachtiger fetches up to 80,000 US dollars and is sold in parts as remedieswith aphrodisiac effects. This sad situation is best reflected throughimages, a more powerful technique than words. Each shot captures amoment that carries a story behind it. �

Michel Zoghzoghi, a Lebanese businessman

attempts to do just that. Ever since he

discovered a strong passion for photography

six years ago, Zoghzoghi has developed through his lens

a long-term love for issues that only a unique photo can

replace a thousand words and portray its story in the

most effective way.

Today, he focuses on photography of the wild, taking a

plane at every occasion, to go discover the beauty that

nature offers. His main focus is predators, which comes

from his passion for capturing movement and strength.

Zoghzoghi’s near future plan is to publish a book with

photos of predators especially endangered species

which he has shot over the past six years such as tigers,

Elephants chasinglions from underthe shades oftrees - MasaiMara, Kenya

polar bears, sharks, lions and cheetahs.

Unlike humans who strike a pose in front of a camera,

predators don’t react to the presence of a camera thus

giving each shot a totally natural feel. When not

photographing, Zoghzoghi manages the family medical

equipment and supply business. He is also on the board

of other family companies involved in Fast Moving

Consumer Goods and telecommunication equipment.

With such a busy schedule, where does he find time to

practice this strong passion for photography of the wild?

MarieJoe Raidy: You have to give up on something to be

able to practice such a passion, and obviously this

something was not professional life as you are strongly �

Polar bears - Hudson Bay,Northern Canada

Male polar bear, Two males play fighting

Mother and two older cubs

Mother with young cub

involved in three companies, one of which

you manage. So what did you give up on?

Michel Zoghzoghi: Social life.

You have such a rich portfolio, why didn’t you

exhibit any of it yet?

I simply don’t have time. But I am planning to

start next year.

Whenever a photo of yours is admired,

you don’t just stop at saying that it is

a beautiful shot, but you always explain

the story behind it.

A capture analyzed embellishes the story.

I always remember how I take my pictures,

and each moment is uniquely embedded

in my memory.

Do you think that through photography,

you can contribute in helping environmental

problems in a way?

Yes I think so. Because when you see these

images, you simply cannot be indifferent.

When people see the picture of a baby lion

playing with his mother or that of a polar

bear cub cuddling up to his mother

they will stop looking at these creatures

as horrible bloodthirsty killers,

and realize that they need our protection.

If we don’t do anything, these endangered

animals will be gone in ten years.

Already tigers are gone, how can we help

2,500 tigers sustain their existence?

Should we care?

Yes we should care. This is their planet

as much as it is ours.

Also from a scientific point of view, we can

learn a lot from these species, from their

strength, their abilities, their longevity.

Tigers are majestic.

Instead of killing them, we should think

of protecting them to avoid their extinction.

And having most of them in captivity is even

worse than killing them.

Why?

They need their instincts, they need to move

and be predators. Being in a cage and having

a piece of meat every day is

like dying. It no longer is the same animal.

�

�

Great White Sharks breaching the surface - False Bay, South Africa

Wildebeest crossing the river - Masai Mara, Kenya

Warthog injured by aMasai spear - Masai

Mara, Kenya

Large male hippos fighting - Masai Mara, Kenya

FACTS- Cheetahs are endangered due to decline in prey, loss of habitat,and poaching.

- Lions are hunted and killed every day for their precious fur,and mane.

- Polar Bears are protected today, but are becoming endangereddue to global warming.

- Humans kill over 25 million sharks a year for their fins, manyothers get stuck in Tuna fishing nets.

- Some human plans such as the Tanzania Serengeti park highwaywill disrupt the annual migration path of 1.5 million wild beastsand 300,000 zebras.

Cape fur seals on Seal Island -False Bay, South Africa

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

THE RACE AGAINST TIME SAVING CORAL

By Abigail ALLING

Coral reefs are disappearing at twice the speed of rainforests!This dangerous fact is mainly due to human activity. The ‘Coral Triangle’ that stretches from Indonesia to the Solomon Islands is an example of such perilous threatafter having lost about 40% of its reefs and mangroves. If immediate and drastic measures are not taken in the very near future, most of the world’s coral reefs will disappear by the year 2050 or a total extinction by the end of the century. �

mated two-thirds of all coral reefs are

at risk today. If immediate action is not

taken, coral reefs could disappear

from Earth within this century.

Coral reefs are the “rainforest of the

seas,” the most biodiverse marine

ecosystem and the greatest expres-

sion of ocean life. Although coral reefs

occupy 0.1% of the ocean’s surface,

they provide habitat to 25% of life in the

ocean and 10% of the food for the

world’s population. About a sixth of the

planet’s coastlines depend on coral

reefs for protection from storms and

waves. The above attributes of reefs,

including their aesthetic beauty, have

been estimated to have a total econo-

mic value of US$ 375 billion per year

across more than half the world’s

countries, both developing and develo-

ped (World Resources Institute, 1998).

Additionally, coral reefs are an inte-

gral part of the earth system bio-

geochemical processes, including

primary production, carbon and cal-

cium storage, and geological for-

Coral reef imagesfrom Menjangan Island, Bali, Indonesia

In the five mass extinctions that

have occurred on planet Earth

since life began, coral reefs have

been the first ecosystem to descend

into ecological freefall.

Ocean conditions are currently chan-

ging faster than at any other time in al-

most the last half a billion years. As a

result, coral reefs are disappearing

around the world at twice the speed of

rainforests, possibly indicating that we

are fast approaching the ‘sixth extinc-

tion’. Threatened by pollution, over-fi-

shing, dynamite and cyanide fishing,

sedimentation as well as bleaching

caused by climate change, coral reefs

are endangered on a planetary scale. It

is estimated that 20% of coral reefs

have already disappeared, 27% of the

world’s species of reef-building corals

were listed as threatened on the Inter-

national Union for Conservation of Na-

ture Red List of Species, and an esti-

THE PROSPECTS OF A WORLDWITHOUT REEFS AREDEVASTATING FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, FOR AHUNGRY AND EVER GROWING WORLD POPULATIONFOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE OCEANS AND FOR THE LIFE OF ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS

48

mations that facilitate water flow and

upwelling. Research has demonstra-

ted that coral reefs respond more

quickly than any other ecosystem to

environmental changes -even to the

slightest changes in water tempera-

ture- because of their extremely high

sensitivity. For this reason, they are

considered an indicator or early war-

ning system for the world's oceans.

The prospects of a world without reefs

are devastating - for the global eco-

nomy, for a hungry and ever growing

world population, for the sustainability

of the oceans and for the life of all fu-

ture generations. Faced with the mag-

nitude of the problem, one small orga-

nization with big ideas has a vision to

stop the destruction of the world's

coral reefs by 2020 and restore their

beauty, health and abundance within

this century.

Since its inception in 1991, the Plane-

tary Coral Reef Foundation (PCRF), a

project of the Biosphere Foundation

(BF), has pursued an unprecedented

global mission to preserve coral reefs

through innovative programs in

science, education and technology.

From 1995 - 2008, PCRF led an expedi-

tion at sea alongside a youth leadership

program that was dedicated to map-

ping and monitoring remote coral

reefs around the world. During those

years PCRF’s ship crossed the globe

60,000 nautical miles and completed

49 comprehensive coral reef studies in

23 countries. It’s Studio of the Sea pro-

ject (www.studioofthesea.org) produ-

ced more than 50 web films -about the

state of our oceans, the decline of coral

reefs, and the life of island cultures

around the world- with the aim of ins-

piring people to make a difference in

stewarding our ocean planet. Perhaps

the most important contribution PCRF

GOALS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

PCRF launched its Coral Reef ScienceProgram in 1995 to initiated baselinestudies for coral reef health worldwide.The project uses innovative researchprotocols developed with Dr. Phil Dustan, former advisor to the EPA and Professor of Biology at the Collegeof Charleston.PCRF furthers the work of other envi-ronmental groups by providing a trus-ted source of data online free of charge. More than 150 volunteers from aroundthe world have joined PCRF’s YouthLeadership Program and apprenticed inseamanship, coral reef science, commu-nity living and cultural exchange. PCRF’s online education-outreach hubprovides an interactive program forpeople of all ages to learn about thecoral reef crisis and to identify ways thatthe individual can make a differenceand become a steward of the earth’sbiosphere. PCRF developed a Google geo-referenced program to illustrate itsarchive of data from 49 reef studies andhelped Immersive Media to innovate a360° visual mapping program for reefs.PCRF s developed Wastewater Gar-dens , an ecological wetland recyclingsystem to process black and grey water. PCRF is on the frontline of key chal-lenges such as global warming and tsu-nami destruction because it is often inremote and unexplored locations. PCRF’s Studio of the Sea producesfilms about the state of our oceans, thebeauty and decline of coral reefs, andthe life of island cultures around theworld. Perhaps the most important filmmade to date documents PCRF’s discovery of massive coral reef morta-lity in the Phoenix Islands in 2004 dueto global warming, which was used inthe film An Inconvenient Truth.PCRF has learned in its youth leader-ship program, that a basic primer forcoral reefs is needed - especially forpeople in Southeast Asia. PCRF’s “AGuide to Coral Reefs” will be publishedin Malay-Indonesian in Jakarta, 2011.

�

49

50

made with film was when PCRF provi-

ded critical imagery and data for “An In-

convenient Truth” that illustrated the

demise of reefs due to global warming.

Additionally, logs, imagery and data is

featured online at www.pcrf.org to pro-

vide a comprehensive world map with

reef data, a Google Earth demonstra-

tion project representing a planetary

sea voyage, immersive 360° underwa-

ter videos, and an educational and in-

formative hub with films, photos, and

expedition logs for the public.

Faced with the overwhelming fact that

reefs were in a global decline, PCRF

recognized that the most important

next step was to help protect reef habi-

tat and encourage people to learn

about the coral reef crisis and to get in-

volved in their preservation. Thus in

2009, PCRF turned its attention to the

‘Coral Triangle’, also known as ‘the

Amazon of the Seas’. This is the epi-

center of marine biodiversity and

abundance. It stretches from Indone-

sia to the Solomon Islands in the Paci-

fic Ocean and is considered a hotspot

of an ecological crisis. Already scien-

tists have estimated that 40% of its

reefs and mangroves are gone and the

level of continued threat to the region is

a staggering 88%. Lying just off Bali’s

northwest shore within Barat National

Park, the uninhabited island of Men-

jangan is truly a jewel. The island is

named after an indigenous deer with a

long neck and large ears that swim

each year across the channel between

the mainland and Menjangan Island.

The narrow island stretches nearly

three kilometers in length and is

graced by four temples to which the

Balinese come to make offerings of

flowers, incense and prayers an ex-

quisitely beautiful practice and a re-

flection of the sacredness that the

people of Bali hold for this island.

PCRF was invited to help further a

long-term interest to protect the coral

reef surrounding this island and en-

force a “no-take” fishing zone.

The Menjangan reef is considered the

most spectacular of the Balinese reef

systems. While most coral reefs in the

region have suffered significant devas-

tation, Menjangan’s are a comparative

treasure of biodiversity, with a wealth

of hard corals, sea fans and soft corals.

It is home to some of unusual species;

from the miniature pygmy seahorse

and ghost pipefish to the more subs-

tantial hawksbill turtle and black-tip

reef shark.

The island is small, but underwater the

reef feels enormous, with walls smo-

thered in sea fans and sponges, long

slopes tapering off into the deep blue

and shallow reef flats, bursting with

hard corals. One of the most mesme-

rizing sights is a large population of

garden eels who live on the southwest

side of the island. As the water flows

up and over the sandy bottom, these

eels emerge, swaying gently while

they face the current to enjoy a meal

as they filter out passing plankton.

Sadly, although Menjangan’s reefs

are officially protected by the national

government in Jakarta, they are now

increasingly threatened by dynamite

fishing, poorly managed tourism,

trash, plastics pollution, disease, an-

chor damage and bleaching caused

by climate change. To address these

challenges, PCRF commenced a

� THESEPEOPLEARE THE NEXT COUSTEAU. IT MAY SEEM THAT THEIR WORKIS INSIGNIFICANT ONE SMALL BOAT, ONE SMALLTEAM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN BUT IT ISNOT. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ANYONE CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

�

phot

os: O

rla D

oher

ty &

Abig

ail A

lling

Crew of the PCRF boat

PCRF campaigner Orla Doherty, underwater

CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change has become the greatest threat to coral reefs today. Increasingthe amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere has led to the phenomenaof increases in sea surface temperature and increases in ocean acidity. Both of these changes, but especially increased temperature, have already affected coral reefs and will become even more prominent in the future. Abnormally high seawater temperatures or large increases in ultraviolet radiation cause the coral colony to either forcibly eject or unwillingly lose itszooxanthellae. These symbiotic algae cells are where most of the coral’s colorcomes from, hence the term bleaching as the bone-white calcium carbonateskeleton is revealed through the transparent tissues of the coral’s polyps. The coral’s polyps are still alive in their bleached state, but they are seriouslyweakened. Up to 90% of their energy comes from the zooxanthellae and, without them, a coral is very susceptible to infection by disease or algal smothering. It has barely any energy left for growth or reproduction. It is possible for the polyps to regain their zooxanthellae and for life to returnto normal, but this window of opportunity is only open for so long. If theconditions do not return to normal to allow re-entry of zooxanthellae withinthis window, the coral will die. Even if all appears to return to normal, the coral has lost energy and therefore has a reduced capacity to grow, to reproduce and, possibly most significantly, to fight off disease.

DYNAMITE FISHINGMany fishermen in southeast Asiause dynamite to stun fish, therebyenabling them to make largecatches swiftly. Dynamite fishinghas been in use at Menjangan Islandand its neighboring reefs for manyyears. The bombs are homemade,from fertilizer and fuses. The blasteither kills the fish instantly or theshockwave stuns them. They floatto the surface or fall to the reef bot-tom, but also breaks up an area ofcoral reef substrate, creating a zoneof rubble on which new corals can-not settle and grow. The fertilizercomponent of the bomb continuesto act like a fertilizer on the reef, en-couraging the growth of algae,which then overgrows and chokesthe shattered substrate, preventingfurther the settlement of new coral.Dynamite fishing is therefore extre-mely destructive to coral reefs inboth the short and long-term. A sin-gle beer-bottle bomb can create acrater of 5 m2. Dynamite fishingoccurred in broad daylight, in peaktourist season, in May 2009. The shallow zones of Menjangan’sreefs have suffered most of the da-mage, as evidenced by paucity of li-ving coral in many places where onemight expect lush reef develop-ment. At these sites the rubblefrom past degradation has accumu-lated in the shallow zones where itis broken into smaller particles byphysical and biological forces (waveaction, grazing, sponge boring, bio-turbation, etc.). This broad sizespectrum of rubble (from sand tocoral fragments) drains down-slope,often enlarging the width of existingsand chutes and/or carving newpathways down the reef face. Thematerials frequently accumulate ondeeper living corals, causing the on-going death of coral tissue. Thus,past conflagrations such as dyna-mite fishing in shallow water conti-nue to be a forcing function for on-going reef degradation.

PLASTICS POLLUTION Plastics pollution has become a horrendous problem in all our seas, killing anestimated 1.5 million marine animals every year. The most famous oceanic collection of plastic debris is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch in theNorth Pacific. Plastics are a grave threat to many species of marine life whobecome entangled on abandoned plastic fishing gear, turtles that choke eatinga plastic bag because they think it is a jellyfish, and the still unknown effects ofthe breakdown of plastics into deadly PCBs on coral reef organisms. In Indo-nesia, plastic debris is a serious problem with discarded fishing gear caught onreefs, plastic bags trapped on branching corals and plastic trash in general fil-ling the beaches and shallow waters. Menjangan Island is no exception andhuge amounts of plastic wash up onto the beaches and shallow coral reefsevery day. This threatens not just the marine life but also the value of the eco-nomic goods and services provided by Menjangan Island as a tourist attraction.

PRIMARY THREATS TO MENJANGAN’S CORAL REEF

Menjangan island

phot

o: A

bigail

Allin

g

Biodiversity

51

52

long-term program that will be a cor-

nerstone of marine conservation

education in the region. Because the

success of this initiative requires ac-

curate and up-to-date information

about the ecology of the reef and its

change over time, PCRF is also wor-

king with scientists and other NGOs

to initiate a scientific study. The data

will be used as part of an overall com-

munity conservation and education-

outreach program to provide infor-

mation about what threatens the

corals and fish as well as to provide

alternative choices for future mana-

gement of the reef’s health.

The success of this program lies in

the handover of knowledge, both

science and community outreach, to

a local team that will have the capa-

city to continue to protect the reef far

into the future. It is PCRF’s task in the

next few years to work with the local

community in skill-based training such

as reef observation and fisheries ma-

nagement, dive training and options for

alternative technologies such as waste

management.

JOIN THIS INTERNATIONAL EFFORTONLINE AT:www.biosfirindonesia.org

PCRF has pursued an unprece-dented approach to preserve and protect the earth’s coral reefsthrough pioneering programs inscience and education-outreach.At the heart of PCRF’s work is ourdedication to helping the peoplemost gravely affected by the deathof coral reefs. The beauty of our earth’s coralreefs is without equal, and theworld’s reefs are on a course of unprecedented destruction. Insupport of its mission to conservebiological diversity, PCRF hasdone an unprecedented 49 comprehensive coral reef studies through 23 countries sinceits origination. PCRF’s CORALREEF SCIENCE program has cros-sed the globe to map and monitorcoral reefs across 60,000 nauticalmiles since 1995. PCRF’s STUDIOOF THE SEA (www.studioofthe-sea.org) project achieves the orga-nization’s mission by producingfilms – including more than 30web films - about the state of ouroceans, the decline of coral reefs,and the life of island culturesaround the world with the aim of inspiring people to make a difference in stewarding our oceanplanet. Perhaps the most impor-tant film made to date is PCRF’sportion of the film “An Inconvenient Truth.” PCRF’s RESEARCH AND YOUTHLEADERSHIP programs spurs par-ticipants to conserve coral reefsthrough an onboard educationalapprentice program and an online“Join The Voyage” educationaloutreach hub. SCIENTIFIC WEBOUTPUTS through www.pcrf.orgachieve the organization’s missionby providing a comprehensiveworld map with data from 49science study sites, a GoogleEarth demonstration project re-presenting a planetary sea voyage,immersive 360° underwater vi-

THE PLANETARY CORAL REEF FOUNDATION

deos, and an educational and in-formative hub with films, photos, and expedition logs forthe public. The site receives morethan one million hits per year.PCRF’s primary goal is to inspireconservation efforts through In-formation, Inspiration and Action.PCRF’s prime organizational valueis sharing information. PCRF em-bodies the belief that informationabout coral reefs belongs to eve-ryone on the planet. Encouragingothers to use it by providing freedata online is central to promotinginformation sharing amongst go-vernments, scientific institutions,organizations and foundations.PCRF’s collaborative approachprovides new inspiration for theconservation movement: volun-teers and stakeholders understand that they can make adifference and identify the contri-bution they can make to the pre-servation effort. Naturally, resear-chers use PCRF’s information andcontribute to the effort, but inspi-ration reaches beyond scientists tocommunity members who havebeen so moved by our work thatthey have joined us in the field.PCRF also turns this inspirationinto action by giving peoplehands-on ways to help save coralreefs and to lend a hand to theinhabitants who rely on the reefs.The organization reflects its values by providing online ways tomake a difference; by ensuring itsplace as a trusted source of datafor scientists and conservationists;through educational programsthat are accessible to the studentswho will become tomorrow’s pre-servationists; and through the culturally rich, hands-on collabo-ration with island peoples. At theheart of PCRF’s programs is theorganizational value that eve-ryone who participates can play a part in the solution.

PCRF SERVES THE PEOPLE OF THE PLANETTHROUGH EDUCATIONAND OUTREACH, DIRECTPROGRAMS TO DIVERSEISLAND PEOPLE, ON-SHIP CONSERVATIONTRAINING TO YOUTH FROM MORE THAN ADOZEN COUNTRIES, AND ONLINE WEB RESOURCES THAT RECEIVE MORE THAN ONE MILLION HITS A YEAR

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WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

By Rony MECATTAF

The “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream”

SYMPOSIUM DESIGNED BY SAN FRANCISCO-BASED NGOTHE PACHAMAMA ALLIANCE

The Pachamama Alliance was created following a call that originated

in the tropical forest by the Achuar community. The Achuars live in a very isolated part of the Amazon,

an area comprised of nearly one million hectares of virgin tropical forest, between Ecuador and Peru. �

56

The Achuar culture is a tradi-

tion of dreams. Around the

end of the 1980s, the com-

munity elders saw in their dreams

that a clear danger was putting their

livelihood in jeopardy. They asked –

through their dreams – to enter into

contact with the “modern” world, a

world they didn’t know, but that see-

med to be responsible for the dan-

ger they were facing, mainly be-

cause of its thirst for oil. Already, the

Achuars’ neighboring communities

were gravely devastated, and their

lands irredeemably contaminated.

Through a series of strange events,

a group of people living in the United

States (of whom Lynne and Bill

Twist, as well as John Perkins)

heard the Achuars’ “call”, and trave-

led down to Ecuador, in the heart of

Achuar territory. During their first

visit, the Pachamama Alliance was

born, a meeting of minds between

the visitors and their hosts. The

name of that group meant that the

main aim of this association was to

preserve Pachamama, the spirit of

Mother Earth in the Quechua lan-

guage of the Achuars.

Very soon, it became clear that the

indigenous populations held within

themselves the key to safeguarding

the ecosystem. Contrary to com-

mon belief, evolution hasn’t “forgot-

ten” these communities. During the

last centuries, western civilization

developed a multitude of theories

and techniques, and it evolved

greatly. Indigenous populations,

meanwhile, have preserved a

wealth of competencies and know-

ledge in their relationship with na-

ture, as well as an understanding of

community life based on prosperity

and the renewing of natural re-

sources. These populations possess

great wisdom in this respect.

The western members of the Al-

liance soon realized that the

Achuars were grateful for that col-

laboration, which they had hoped –

and dreamed – for. But what they

were really asking for, rather than

some sort of humanitarian help,

was to “change the dream of the

North” or the dream of the modern

world. What they meant was that

modern man needed to free himself

from the spell he seemed to be

under. A hypnotic spell that drives

us into over consumption, that says

we need to thrive constantly for un-

limited growth, which we always

need to have more of. The Achuars

consider this to be a spell, a dream

that needs to be modified, transfor-

med. This, in itself, showed the ho-

listic nature of the Achuars’ ap-

proach, since they go after the root

of the problem, not its symptoms.

Their message could be synthesized

thus: “If you want to help us, start by

helping yourselves.”

In taking their task to heart, the wes-

tern visitors to the land of the

Achuars wanted to answer the ques-

tion: “How can we westerners,

through this Alliance, do our part of

the deal?” Far from advocating a way

of life that would push us back many

centuries, nor idealizing it, their idea

was to take the good in the fantastic

developments that the West has

known, while maintaining the wis-

dom of the first peoples, and the

inherent intelligence of their rela-

tionship with nature. Through this

question, the “Awakening the Drea-

mer” Symposium was born.

The Symposium is the result of many

years of work, gathering of informa-

tion on the state of the planet, inter-

views with various physicists, cosmo-

logists, spiritual guides and

psychotherapists, in order to present

to the widest possible audience a

“waking-up” tool starting with a very

simple paradigm: we are all in a le-

thargic state that makes us act

against our environment, and in fine,

against ourselves. This way of being

emerges from a series of unverified

beliefs that have grown over the cen-

turies, and most importantly since

the industrial revolution of the 18th

century. Far from offering the diagno-

sis of an incurable disease, the Sym-

posium allows us to look coura-

geously and with clarity at an instant

photograph of our present situation

in the areas of environmental sustai-

nability, social justice and spiritual

fulfillment. It then invites us to detect

the fundamental reasons that put us

in this situation. Finally, it helps us to

find within ourselves the path we

need to create to get us out of the cri-

sis, and not wait for others (our go-

vernments, NGOs, future genera-

tions…) to act in our stead.

THE SYMPOSIUM ASKS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. Where are we?

Using consensual data emanating

from distinguished experts, the Sym-

posium analyzes how human beings,

as a species, contributes – or not, as

the case may be – to create a world

that is environmentally sustainable,

spiritually fulfilling and socially just. It

proposes an objective state of the

world in these three areas.

2. How did we get here?

What are the inherent causes that

contributed to the situation in which

we find ourselves? Can we possibly

act differently? Some answers are

provided, with the active participation

of the audience.

3.What is possible for the future?

Are there other options open for us?

Concrete examples are presented, as

well as various efforts underway in

various points of the globe.

4.And now, where do we go from

here?

Participants are invited to reflect

upon their own action in this new vi-

sion, which they can choose to co-

create by realizing the “new dream of

the modern world”.

I personally came into contact with

the Symposium and the Pachamama

Alliance by chance (if there be such a

thing…). It was in November 2008, in

Montreal. The message moved me

tremendously, and I decided then and

there that I wanted to be part of the

effort to deliver it. I trained as a facili-

tator, and presented it since with fel-

low facilitators in – amongst other �

57

A HYPNOTIC SPELL THATDRIVES US INTO OVER CONSUMPTION, THAT SAYS WE NEED TOTHRIVE CONSTANTLY FOR UNLIMITED GROWTH,WHICH WE ALWAYS NEEDTO HAVE MORE OF

Global Warming

58

places – Algeria, on the occasion of

the celebration of the centenary of

the Sufi Alawiyya community; Bel-

gium, to a group of fifty 16-year old

schoolchildren; Lebanon, following a

conference in the presence of the Mi-

nister of the Environment, to more

than 100 people from the business,

academic and non-profit sectors;

France, at the GRETT conference on

transpersonal psychology, to a group

of psychotherapists.

Since March 2005, the Symposium

has been presented on all continents,

in a dozen languages, and in varying

formats, ranging from 2 hours to 3

days. The content has been

constantly improved and updated, but

the developers do not pretend to have

all the answers to the questions they

pose. Therein may lay the strength of

the message, and the fantastic thrust

it manages to create everywhere it is

presented. There are today over 2,000

facilitators in the world who have

been trained to present (bona fide)

the Symposium in their neighbo-

rhoods or work environment.

IMAGINAL CELLSAccording to Elizabet Sahtouris, a

specialist in the field of evolutionary

biology, when a caterpillar reaches a

certain point in its evolution, it be-

comes over-consumptive. A vora-

cious eater that consumes hundreds

of times its own weight, a small ca-

terpillar can actually devour all the

leaves of a small tree.

At that same time, inside the molecu-

lar structure of the caterpillar, cer-

tain cells – called the “imaginal cells”

– become active. As the caterpillar is

devouring everything it encounters,

these cells wake up, look for each

other, and begin to cluster inside the

caterpillar’s body. When enough of

them connect, even without constitu-

ting the organism’s majority, they be-

come the genetic directors of the fu-

ture of the caterpillar. At that point,

the other cells begin to putrefy, beco-

ming a so-called nutritive soup, out of

which the imaginal cells create the

absolutely unpredictable miracle that

is the butterfly.

We can think of small groups of peo-

ple forming here and there right

now, and linking together to create

tomorrow’s sustainable world, as

�

59

the imaginal cells of the planet. How

is that for a new Dream?...

THE PROPHECY OF THE EAGLEAND THE CONDORThe prophecy of the eagle and the

condor is a centuries-old legend,

passed down by the First Peoples of

South America. According to ancient

indigenous legends that go back mil-

lennia, the Eagle is the bird that re-

presents societies that are very ma-

terialistic and very human-oriented.

The Condor represents spiritual so-

cieties, and ones that feel more inte-

grated with their environment.

It is said of the People of the Eagle

that it perceives life through its men-

tal capacity above all else. In this mo-

ment in our history, it would have at-

tained the height of its development

thanks to a sophisticated understan-

ding, and would be materially richer

than any of its preceding generations.

But spiritually, it would be impoveri-

shed to the point of having its survival

in jeopardy.

It is said of the People of the Condor

that it lives first and foremost with the

heart, the spirit world and the five

senses. According to the Prophecy, in

this moment in history, it would be

very advanced in intuitive perception

and relationship with other species.

But on the material side, it would be

impoverished to the point of being in

danger of extinction, principally

through its contact with the People of

the Eagle.

The legend says that every five hun-

dred years, humankind goes through

a new cycle. The last cycle is said to

have begun at the end of the 1400’s,

roughly at the time of Christopher Co-

lumbus. It was predicted that during

that cycle, the Eagle would dominate,

but within five hundred years, that

cycle would start to change, and the

Eagle and the Condor would fly toge-

ther in the same skies. We have, ac-

cording to this legend, the great op-

portunity to participate actively in the

“Great Turning”, in the words of

Joanna Macy, that this end of cycle

and beginning of a new one represent.

Every human being needs to – and

can – integrate what each of these

two worlds have to offer, without mi-

nimizing the value of either. So eve-

ryone can benefit.

WE ARE ALL INA LETHARGIC STATETHAT MAKES US ACT AGAINST OURENVIRONMENT AND IN FINE AGAINST OURSELVES

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN (IWRM)

By Dr. Fadi G. COMAIR

Water

Many countries around the world confront challenges related to water resources, in the frame of their fight for sustainable economic and social

development. The increasing demand of water resources, the degradation of its quality as well as the bad management of natural

resourcescause the water to be much more vulnerable and limited. �

versity resources and socio-econo-

mic development. This region repre-

sents a ideal context for the applica-

tion of world vision, mainly regarding

the water resource status and mana-

gement suggested during the Rio

summit in 1992, Rio + 5 at Johannes-

burg (1997) and the Global Water

Forum in Mexico City in 2006.

The creation of a database compre-

hending the technical characteristics

on water resources in the region as

well as the socio-economic criteria of

the countries located in the Mediter-

ranean basin is a necessary task to

launch the IWRM process.

It is worth mentioning that the appli-

cation of such process in the Mediter-

ranean region was conducted by se-

veral international institutions such

as: Global Water Partnership (GWP),

European Union Water Initiative

(EUWI) and the Euro-Mediterranean

water information system (EMWIS).

In the following section a review of the

important elements in relation to the

water resources status in the Medi-

terranean region as well as the chal-

lenges of the future development are

presented.

DEMOGRAPHY The increase of the population consti-

tutes the dominant factor of the eco-

nomical, social and environmental

development in the Mediterranean

region. The population of the

Mediterranean countries

that counted 246 million

inhabitants in 1960 will

reach in 2025 approximately

550 millions.

This demographic status,

combined with the intensive

urbanization, underlines the

concentration of population

and their activities essentially

in costal regions. Moreover,

in the majority of the Mediter-

ranean countries more than

80 %of the population is

supplied with drinking

water, but this percentage

decreases to 60 %in rural

southern regions. The ac-

cess to sanitation on the �

This fact is becoming more ob-

vious in the Mediterranean re-

gion where the sectoral ap-

proaches of the water management

are always present in a number of

countries and are unable to meet the

contemporary needs for a sustaina-

ble management. The region is in

need for a general master plan and a

future strategy that takes into ac-

count the water cycle and integrates

technical, environmental, social and

economical parameters.

In this context, the need for an integra-

ted approach is currently crucial to

supply the future generations with

pure water in sufficient quantity and to

preserve the environment and the eco-

system in the Mediterranean basin. .

During the Earth Summit in Rio de

Janeiro (1992) and within the scope of

the Agenda 21, chapter 18, paragraph

18.6: the term “Integrated Water Re-

sources Management” (IWRM) was

defined as the following:

“The holistic management of drin-

king water as a finite and vulnerable

resource, and the integration of sec-

toral water plans and programs wi-

thin the framework of national eco-

nomic and social policy, are of

absolute importance for action in the

1990s and beyond”

For this purpose, the process laun-

ched to adopt the IWRM by the inter-

national and governmental agencies

initially aimed at helping countries in

their efforts exerted to treat the

water-related issues in an effective

and sustainable way.

The “Global Water Partnership”

(GWP) has defined the IWRM as: “A

process to promote the development

and the management of water re-

sources, lands and other relative re-

sources, in order to maximize the

economic and social welfare resul-

ting from the equitable means wi-

thout compromising the sustainabi-

lity of indispensable ecosystems”.

These two definitions lead us to dis-

tinguish among three fundamental

mainstays of IWRM which are:

�Set up an environment that pro-

motes policies and appropriate re-

gulations.

� Implement an Institutional Frame-

work.

�Organize the Management Instru-

ments that should be applied by

the institutions.

WATER MANAGEMENT IN THEMEDITERRANEAN BASINThe political and social environment

prevailing in the Mediterranean re-

gion is considered as representative

of the relationship between the North

and the South East to the other parts

of the planet, due to the climate di-

Different climatic zones in the Mediterranean basin

62

Water fall in Morocco

64

southeastern shore reveals an im-

portant backwardness to drinking

water in serving supply system.

The countries localized on this shore

of the Mediterranean basin are also

facing an increasing degradation for

the remaining natural resources.

The water stress constitutes a threat

for the food security of the popula-

tions and binds their economical de-

velopments particularly for poor

countries located in arid and semi-

arid rural areas.

CLIMATE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BASINThe principal climate characteristics

that prevail in the Mediterranean

basin are:

�Sunshine.

�Drought periods.

�Winter relatively mild.

�Abundance of precipitations in

winter along the coast.

�Snow on high mountains.

�Marine wind current.

climate that governs more than 40 %

of the basin and widely present in

Africa and Middle East as well as in

many regions in Spain and Anatolia.

The different climate zones of the

Mediterranean basin are presented

The annual average precipitation le-

vels are extremely different; starting

with few centimeters on the shore of

Syrtes, in Libya to reach more than 4

meters over the most watered sum-

mits on the western Balkan (max.

4.64 meter over Montenegro). The

rain records of the basin shows that

the input of precipitations are une-

qually distributed since 2/3 of the

total annual average of 1100 km³, are

concentrated over 1/5 of the surface

of the basin. France, Turkey and Italy

are the three Mediterranean coun-

tries which receive half of this vo-

lume. Italy is the most watered state

(with 300 km³) while the countries of

the African littoral don’t receive more

than 13 % of this volume. These pre-

cipitations intensified in winter sea-

� THE POPULATION OFTHE MEDITERRANEANCOUNTRIES THATCOUNTED 246 MILLION INHABITANTS IN 1960 WILL REACH IN 2025 APPROXIMATELY 550 MILLIONS

In general, the climate is humid in the

coast, more contrasted on high

mountains in the North and in the

plains of the occidental and continen-

tal Europe. The aridity exists in the

south, where desert extends till the

sea in Libya. These diversified re-

lieves resulted in an arid or semi-arid

65

Table 1 & 2: The annual average volumes of precipitations and flows for each country per km³

CCountry Volume in km Country Volume in km

Spain 112

France 123

Italy 296

Malta 0.16

Slovenia 6.5

Croatia 26.5

Bosnia Herzegovina 22

Serbia &

Montenegro

22

Macedonia 18

Albania 42.7

Greece 113.4

Cyprus 4.4

Turkey 137.6

Syria 13.5

Lebanon 8.2

Israel 3

West Bank 1.4

Gaza 0.1

Egypt 12

Libya 10

Tunisia 33

Algeria 68.5

Morocco 21

Table 1: Table 2:

Country Volume in km Country Volume in km

Spain 28

France 64

Italy 182.5

Malta 0.05

Slovenia 4.20

Croatia 18

Bosnia Herzegovina 14

Serbia &

Montenegro

16

Macedonia 5.4

Albania 26.9

Greece 58

Cyprus 0.78

Turkey 66

Syria 5

Lebanon 4.8

Israel 0.63

West Bank 0.57

Gaza 0.8

Egypt 12

Libya 10

Tunisia 3.7

Algeria 12

Morocco 5

Table 1: Table 2:

son of 50 to 100 days per year and

present usually a torrential condition.

The high irregularity factors of the

precipitation flow causes grounds

erosion as well as natural catas-

trophes such as landslide. The plu-

viometer widely varies according to

the following range of years:

�One year out of three is identified

as being “dry” and two years out of

three present an intensity under

the average.

�A decennial year characterized as

“dry” with precipitations that fall

mainly over 2/3 of the averages of

nine out of ten years.

These aforementioned climate para-

meters related to the Mediterranean

basin shows that the weakness and ir-

regularity of precipitations are the

main cause of the high irrigation water

consumption volume in the region.

The annual average flow collected by

the watercourses and the aquifers

are spread between 2 meters and

less than 10 mm of precipitation, or �

Lebanon

2 millions m3 and less than 10000 m³

per km². The northern chain of

mountains, starting from the Pyre-

nees till the Taurus, receive the most

abundant flows and reach a maxi-

mum at the Alp and the western of

the peninsula of Balkan, from the

Dalmatie till Albany. The average of

inputs can be found on the eastern

shore countries in semi-arid regions,

while the volume of low precipitations

are located in the arid regions at the

South of the basin. Theses cumula-

ted inputs that reach 517 km³ per

year are unequally distributed since

3/4 of the total volume are only pro-

duced over 1/3 of the basin. The ba-

sins of Po and Rhone receive 20 % of

- North (Europe) 949 531 km²

- South (Africa) 661 864 km²

- East (Middle East) 225 025 km²

BASIN OF PARCELED TYPE HAVING SEVERAL FORMS:a. Six river basins which extend over

50 000 km²: Nile, Rhone, Ebro, Po,

Moulouya, Evros - Ergene.

b. Eleven basins of more than 10000

km².

c. Many small river basins of less

than 10000 km².

As to the outflow, the watercourses

can be classified as the following:

a. An average outflow for three rivers

of more than 1000 m3 per second:

Nile in Assouan, Rhone and Po.

the total flows. This repartition in-

fluences the river basins renewable

water resources of each country.

SURFACE AND FLOW OF MEDITERRANEAN RIVER BASINSWe distinguish two forms of the Me-

diterranean basin surface:

Basin of variable geometry with two

variations:

a. The area of the whole basin, added

to the entire Nile basin reaches

4562480 km².

b. The area of the conventional basin,

with the part of the Nile basin loca-

lized only in Egypt, reaches

1836480 km² and is distributed as

following:

�

Arpy lake, La Thuile,

Aosta valley, Italy

67

Water

b. The outflow of ten other rivers va-

rying between 100 and 1000 m³ per

second: Adige, Axios – Vadar, Cey-

han, Drin, Ebro, Goksu, Neretva,

Seyhan, Strymon, Tiber.

The most important Mediterranean ri-

vers (with an average outflow > 10 km³

per year) are presented in table 3.

The majority of the Mediterranean

sub-basins hydrographic boundaries

rarely coincide with the political bor-

ders of countries. Thus, the water ba-

lance of the basin nations should

comprehend the water transboun-

dary flows coming from a neighbo-

ring country added to those existing

in the national territories of each

country. This is the case of Switzer-

land which supplies France and Italy,

Bulgaria an upstream country sup-

ply, Macedonia and Greece, and mas-

sively from countries of the upper

Nile basin to Egypt. The inputs of non

coastal countries to the Mediterra-

nean Basin reach about 110 km³/year

(including the Nile) and this supple-

mentary discharge increase the in-

ternal flows at a rate of 20 percent.

In the Middle East, the Jordan River

(42 500 km²) which empties into the

Dead Sea is considered as closed

basin and is shared out by five coun-

tries: Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jor-

dan and Israel. The Jordan River will

be subject to a special study within

the context of the peace process in

the Middle East. The watercourses

and aquifers which naturally flow into

the Mediterranean Sea discharge an

average flow of around 470 km³/year

among which 40 km³/year are under-

ground flows with strong inequality

between the north and the south

(85% throughout the northern shore

of Europe and Turkey and 15% on the

southern and eastern shore). It is

worth to mention that a significant

part of the Mediterranean water-

course natural outflows does not

reach the sea because of its overuse.

This is the case of countries like

Spain, Tunisia as well as Egypt where

the Nile outflow discharges in the sea

was reduced by six of its initial vo-

lume. Loss of fresh water flows dis-

charged in the Mediterranean Sea is

evaluated of more than 15 percent of

the total watercourses outflow.

RENEWABLE AND EXPLOITABLE RESOURCESThe renewable water resources of

each country are calculated by the

Table 3: Characteristics of Mediterranean rivers of important outflow

�

addition of internal resources (being

surface or groundwater) and of exter-

nal resources originating in neighbo-

ring countries from trans-boundary

rivers or aquifers. The volume of

these resources is unequally distri-

buted among the basin regions and

presents for a year of average preci-

pitations the following:

�480 km³ / year in the north (Europe).

�78 km³ / year in the south (Africa).

�82.6 km³ / year in the east (Middle

East).

Italy, France, Greece and Turkey are

the four countries which receive the

highest level of precipitations in the

basin. They cumulate 407 km³/ year

which constitute 2/3 of the renewable

resources total volume. The poorest

countries as Cyprus, Malta, Libya

and the Palestinian Territories do not

calculate their water resources in

billions of m³/year anymore but in

millions.

Moreover, internal and external flows

are highly different and show indica-

tors of the independence of water re-

sources. Being abundant or not, this

natural resource is just partially

“available” and “exploitable”. The

sharing among countries whether

they are providers of water in ups-

tream river or receivers in downs-

tream river are fixed according to the

technical, economical, environmen-

tal and geopolitical criteria.

The indicator of countries water inde-

pendence all around the Mediterra-

nean basin shows the rareness of the

resource and the compensation

through water transfers from other

regions with better provision, for ins-

tance, in Spain from the Tage river, Is-

rael from the Jordan River and Libya

that extract more than 60 % of its

NName Length

(km)

Catchment basin area

(km )

Natural outflow average

m3/s km /year

Nile (entire)

(el-Bahr)

6 617 2 870 000 2 660 84

Rhone 812 98 845 1 940 61.2

Po 676 70 090 1 480 46.7

Drin + Buna 151 19 582 680 21.4

Ebro 930 86 000 593 18.7

Neretva 210 12 750 377 11.9

Table 3: characteristics of Mediterranean rivers of important outflow

68

water resources from pumped fossil

ground aquifers in the desert (Non-

sustainable resources).

The comparison between the re-

sources of a country and its popula-

tion reveals the indicator of richness

and poorness in water of the territory.

The actual average water quantity of

the whole Mediterranean basin is

considered as 1400 m³ /year per

inhabitant. This indicator determines

the reference water level widely ac-

cepted by the international agencies

and which are classified under three

categories:

1 . Water scarcity i<500 m³/year.

2 . Water shortage or water stress

500<i<1000 m³/year.

3 . Acceptable minimum amount

i = 1000 m³ /year.

The practical application of this clas-

sification shows that for 250 million

inhabitants of the Mediterranean

basin, 74 million will suffer from

“Water stress” and 48 millions from

“water scarcity”; regardless the other

local seriously difficult conditions to

be managed in some countries.

Strong disparity appears in the Medi-

terranean basin where the indicator

on the average of consumable re-

sources per inhabitant varies of less

than 10m³ / year for Gaza and Malta

and more than 10000 m³ / year in

Croatia and Bosnia. The average vo-

lumes per sub-region present a great

difference in m³ / year: 2254 m³ / year

in the north, 1339 m³ / year in the east

and 572 m³ / year in the south.

�

69

Water

THE WATERCOURSESAND AQUIFERSWHICH NATURALLYFLOW INTO THE MEDITERRANEANSEA DISCHARGE ANAVERAGE FLOW OF AROUND 470 KM³/YEAR

WATER DEMANDSBY SECTOR OF USE The total annual volume of water

use for all the consumption sectors

in the Mediterranean basin is esti-

mated to be about 200 billions of m³.

This quantity translates that water

for irrigation is considered to be the

main consumption sector in almost

all the basin countries, then comes

after the domestic demands to

meet the needs of the populations

growth and the industries connec-

ted to the public networks. Thus, the

great quantity of water used in every

country depends on the populations

growth and the irrigation schemes de-

velopment. This is the case of Egypt

and Italy which are classified as the

“most irrigating” countries since they

cumulate together a volume of water

of 115 km³ annually, over the half of the

exploited total amount. According to

the "Blue Plan", water demands in

every sector of use are distributed as

the following:

�Community /drinking Water

37.9 km³ / year (13 percent).

� Irrigation

181 km³ / year (63 percent).

� Industries

32.4 km³ / year (11 percent).

�Power (cooling)

37.9 km³ / year (13 percent).

The demand of water in the power

sector for the cooling of nuclear

plants is predominant in France.

Based on the importance of the irri-

gation of the region and especially of

Egypt in the south and Italy in the

north, the repartition of water de-

mands in the Mediterranean Basin is

quite equilibrated and distributed as

the following:

�90 km³ / year in the north.

�82 km³ / year in the south .

�29 km³ / year in the east .

CHALLENGES OF THE WATER GOVERNANCEAND MANAGEMENT In the Mediterranean countries and

all along the years, the development

of water management depended on

the particular needs of each water

sector and neglecting the integrated

balance of the whole demands.

This sectorial management approach

as well as the lack of coordination and

cooperation among the different ins-

titutions assigned to the utilization of

this resource contributes in the water

governance and management crisis

in the Mediterranean basin.

In this context, the primordial preoc-

cupation of countries located in the

southeastern Mediterranean basin is

to draw up the conceptual frame of a

good governance of resources as well

as the necessary means for the appli-

cation of the integrated management

of this sector. This plan aims to pro-

mote a balanced situation between

the demands and the available re-

sources in these countries.

Then, the implementation process

of IWRM does not constitute a fini-

shed product but a dynamic process

that should be adapted to the level

of each water basin in consideration

to the technical, social and econo-

mical characteristics relevant to

each situation.

In fact, it is a process of equilibrium

bringing a number of means, tools

and methods to ensure the develop-

ment and the management of water

resources with a priority goal to rea-

lize food security and water sustaina-

bility. The implementation of such in-

novated concept will incite the

political authorities to join their ef-

forts in order to ensure its success.

Moreover, the comprehension of

users of the necessity to change the

water management approach as well

as the manner on the basis of which

the institutions will enhance this

change constitutes a prerequisite for

the application of IWRM.

The preparation of such synergy le-

vels is not easy at all.

The most realistic approach will pro-

bably be to develop progressively the

synergies for each of the phases with

clear objective and demonstrative

advantages.

Morocco

70

TOPOGRAPHICAL RELIEF ANDPRECIPITATIONSLebanon, with a total surface of

10452 km² is located at the eastern

coast of the Mediterranean Sea and

extends all along 210 km at the coast

and 50 km inside the Lebanese terri-

tories. It has common borders from

the north and the east with Syria and

from the south with Israel and the oc-

cupied Palestinian territories.

Administratively, Lebanon is divided

into six districts or provinces. As to

the topographical side, it can be divi-

ded into four parallel parts heading

from the West to the East:

�Coastal and narrow flat belt all

along the sea.

�Mount Lebanon assembly line with

maximum height of 3000 m.

�Valley of Bekaa with an altitude of

900 m over sea level.

�Anti Lebanon assembly line going

in height to 2800 m to the east.

In Lebanon, the climate is typically Me-

diterranean. It is characterized by

strong precipitations during winter fol-

lowed by a dry period with high humi-

dity during the remaining seven

months of the year. However, the in-

fluence of the sea, the particularities of

the topography and the presence of the

Syrian desert in the North create a va-

riation of microclimate inside the coun-

try with contrast of the distribution of

both temperature and precipitations.

The annual average temperature is

20 ºC prevailing over the coast (va-

rying between 13ºC in winter and 27

ºC in summer), 16 ºC in the Bekaa

valley (between 5 ºC in winter and 26

ºC in summer), and less than 10 ºC

on high altitude over the mountains

(between 0 ºC in winter and 18 ºC in

summer).

The annual precipitation average is

estimated to be about 800 mm, va-

rying between 600 and 900 mm along

the coast and 1400 mm over the

mountains. It decreases to 400 mm in

eastern regions and less than 200

mm in the northeastern regions of

the country.

Over 2000 m of altitude, the essential

precipitations are snow and can help

in giving rise to good outputs for 2000

water sources during the dry periods.

Precipitations are produced in 80 or

90 days of the year, mainly between

October and April. Approximately, 75

% of the total volume of the surface

flow took place during five months,

extending from January till May, 16 %

of June and July and only 9% for the

remaining five months from August

till December.

WATER BALANCE IN LEBANONThe water cycle in Lebanon, for an

average precipitation year, can be re-

sumed as the following: (Table 1)

Approximately, one billion m³ of this

volume of water flow comes from

more than 2000 sources, with uni-

tary average flow of 10 to 15 l/s. Such

volume is assessed out of the perpe-

tual flow of 17 watercourses being

part of 40 principal river basins flo-

wing in the country.

While the global water annual vo-

lume empties in the sea and a part of

it goes towards the neighboring

By Dr. Fadi G. COMAIR

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

WATERRESOURCES IN LEBANON

countries, groundwater faces major

difficulties for their control, because

of the geological karstic conditions.

Water resources in use in Lebanon

are estimated to be around 1.5 billion

m³ per year distributed among do-

mestic, irrigation, municipal and in-

dustrial sectors of the country with an

increasing annual demands that will

generate starting 2015 an enormous

water balance deficit.

The most important watercourses in

Lebanon derive from the Litani that

constitutes only about 28 % of the

total surface flows of the country.

The annual total volume of ground

water in Lebanon is estimated at

567 mm³ whereas the flow in dry pe-

riod (July till October) in the different

71

Lebanese basins is evaluated

around 141 mm³.

The hydrographic system of the

country shows three international

watercourses:

�El Assi watercourse (Orontus), si-

tuated in the north of the Bekka

Valley. It flows towards Syria to the

northeast of the country to end up

in Turkey.

�Hasbani watercourse situated in the

south east; the Hasbani which flows

towards Palestine and Israel consti-

tutes a tributary of the Jordan River.

�Nahr El Kebir watercourse in the

north which constitutes the border

line between Syria and Lebanon.

Nahr EL Kebir empties then in the

Mediterranean Sea.

Aammiq reserve river

These three transboundary basins

were subject to a strategic study in

this book in the scope of the negotia-

tions with the reparian States.

The hydraulic resources of Lebanon

show that the country owns a favora-

ble situation in what concerns the

cumulative flows, but the constraints

of its utilization come from their limi-

ted availability during the five months

dry season of the year that go from

June till October (JJASO) and the

Karstic geological complicated na-

ture of the country.

WATER DEMAND IN LEBANON1. Population The official study which is the most

reliable to estimate the Lebanese po-

pulation was undertaken by the Mi-

nistry of Interior (electoral lists) and

by the Ministry of Social Affairs with

the participation of the UNDP and

UNRWA. These sources indicate that

the current population counts 4.8

million inhabitants, with an average

annual growth rate of 2.5 %.

The distribution of the Lebanese

population as well as the Palesti-

nian refugees in different regions of

the country is presented as the fol-

lowing:

�North region

1000000 inhabitants.

�Beirut & Mount Lebanon

2300000 inhabitants.

�South Lebanon

670000 inhabitants. �

72

�Bekaa

580000 inhabitants.

2. Drinking water demandThe studies done by the Ministry of

Energy and Water showed a link bet-

ween the drinking water needs and

the social, economical and cultural

levels of the country. As a follow up of

several inquiries related to this sub-

ject, the General Directorate of Hy-

draulic and Electric Resources

(GDHER) considered that the daily

needs per inhabitant are 200 l/day /

person with an added water rate of

3.5 % while taking into account the

big consumers and municipal use.

It is worth to mention that the effi-

ciency of the drinking water networks

is evaluated to 70 %. The calculation

of these technical settings allow to

present the final daily value of water

needs per inhabitant which corres-

ponds to 230 liters.

The studies of the GDHER showed

that the annual drinking water

country demands are about 500

mm³. The necessary volume to

meet the demands of the consu-

mers during the dry period of the

year, meaning July, August, Sep-

tember and October (JASO) reaches

250 Mm³. In percentage, they are

stated as the following:

�North region

22 %

�Beirut & Mount Lebanon

46 %

�South Lebanon

16 %

�Bekaa

16 %

3. Water demand for irrigationIn the year 2004, the FAO and the Mi-

nistry of Agriculture (MoA) in Leba-

non published a detailed study about

the irrigated areas which were esti-

mated about 100000 ha. These irriga-

ted surface areas are dispersed in the

following districts:

�

Tannourine

Water

73

El Bared5%

Abou Ali5%

El Jaouz1%

El Aassi (Orontes)14%

Nahr Ibrahim9%

El Kelb9%Nahr Beirut

4%

El Damour5%

Litani (Upstream)21%

Aw ali + Litani (dow nstream)

7%

El Hasbani3%

Other12%

El Aarqa1%

El Ostouene2%

El Kebir 2%

Table 2: total division of the main rivers of the country

Total division of the main rivers of the country

�North Lebanon

30000 ha.

�Beirut & Mount Lebanon

10700 ha.

�South Lebanon

21000 ha.

�Bekaa

40000 ha.

The FAO study has presented the fi-

gures concerning the yearly water

need per hectare which varies bet-

ween 6000 and 10300 m3 at the head

of the network. This variation de-

pends in general on the cultivated

species but more specifically from

the irrigation methods, status of net-

works and climate of the country.

4. Hydraulic balance in LebanonA detailed study of the hydraulic ba-

lance in Lebanon calculated starting

from the year 2000 for a projection of

40 years and taking into account all

the water sectors of use. The settings

and hypothesis of calculation used in

the present study are the following:

1. Population in 2000 : 4.5 million.

2. Annual growth rate: 2.7 %.

3. Irrigated surface: 10000 ha in 2000

and 280000 ha in 2040.

4. Water consumption per ha:

10000 m³/ year in the year 2000;

8000 m³/year starting 2015; 6000

m³/ year for 2020 – 2040 .

5. Domestic and industrial use per

person/ day: 300 Liters.

6. Mobilized water resources: �

No. DesignationFlows (Mm )

Inputs Outputs Total

1 Total annual precipitations 8200

2Natural evaporation and

transpiration4100

3Losses in groundwater

towards neighboring countries300

4Losses in surface waters in

towards neighboring countries648

5 Sea spring sources 385

6 Total renewable waters 2700

6.1 Ground water 567

6.2 Surface waters 2200

Tableau 1: water balance in Lebanon

Table 1: Total division of the main rivers of the country

1.5 billion m³/ year in 2000, 2.1 billion

m³/ year in 2015 and 2.7 billion m³

/year in 2040.

DRINKING WATER PROJECTS Before the 1960s, few regions in Le-

banon beneficiated from the commo-

dities of drinking water. During the

1960s, the Lebanese government has

undertaken a plan of large scale to

install distribution networks for drin-

king water with the intent to ensure

this resource in all the regions of the

country. The criteria adopted at this

period for the daily drinking and do-

mestic water needs were 100 liters

per day and per inhabitant. Also, the

life duration as well as the dimensio-

ning of the networks was calculated

for duration of 25 years.

Starting from the 1990s, these instal-

lations become decayed and their ca-

pacities could not meet the needs of

the population which experienced

many migrations because of the war

or due to the urban expansion of the

main cities in the country.

During this period, the major efforts

were exerted by the MEW and CDR to

rehabilitate the drinking water net-

works and the annexed installations,

reinforce their capacities, or even,

find new water resources in order to

fill the increase of the daily demand.

The purpose of this approach was to

ensure the continuous water supply

to the Lebanese population. Thus,

the actual tendency of the Lebanese

Government is to:

�Rehabilitate the drinking water

distribution network and ensure

this resource to the cities and vil-

lages that are not provided with

this service.

�Ameliorate the conditions of the

services, starting from the re-

sources and the infrastructures.

� Improve the efficiency of the drin-

king water distribution networks

�Reinforce the partnership with the

private sector in the management

of this utilities.

COLLECTION AND TREATMENTOF WASTE WATERThe process of optimization regar-

ding the implementation of waste

water treatment plants in Lebanon

represents a complicated task to be

solved on the bases of technical and

economical criteria. In fact, the ade-

quate alternative to be adapted

should be based on a compromise

between the following objectives and

the constraints:

�Best protection of the environment

Reuse of treated waste water for

irrigation and artificial recharge of

aquifers in the coastal regions.

�Budget constraints concerning

the investments, operation and

maintenance.

Thus, it is necessary for Lebanon that

the technical planning scheme would

74

be based in its extent on the principal

calibrated watersheds and not on the

sub basins or joint basins. This ap-

proach is directly related to the

mountainous topography and the un-

controlled demographic develop-

ment which complicate more and

more the process of decision.

Under these conditions, the following

actions should be taken:

�Optimization of the treatment plants

investment, operation and mainte-

nance costs proportionally to its ca-

pacity by equivalent inhabitant.

�Reduction of the pumping and lif-

ting stations.

�Reduction of the treatment plants

number with the advantages that

this procures on the maintenance

level and the sludge treatment

management.

This approach will allow an optimal

utilization of water reuse for munici-

pal and irrigation development

schemes and to quickly absorb and

increasing discharges due to the de-

mographic development of urban ci-

ties in Lebanon.

In 1993, the Lebanese Government

delegated to the MEW and CDR the

launching of a wide program in the

waste water treatment sector in order

to supply the needs of environmental

protection and public health.

The 10 year strategic plan went

through the actual situation of the

waste water construction program

treatment plant in Lebanon in order to

show the advance studies and works

stage as well as the priorities to be

applied in the legislative, administra-

tive, technical and financial domains.

The scheme plan for waste water treat-

ment in Lebanon (2000), foresees with

regard to the increasing demographic

development surrounding the cities,

the construction of 20 priority plants as

a beginning, to meet the waste water

collection and treatment of 75% to 80%

of the Lebanese population.

With regard to the rare lands on the

Lebanese coast and their high price

in m² near the cities, the optimal use

of the area should be a permanent

concern of the responsible designers.

These experts suggested that the

Dinnye will affect inescapably the

supply of drinking water in Tripoli.

This would be produced, for instance,

when a treatment plant of waste

water of the upstream region breaks

down for any technical reasons.

Unfortunately, the municipality of Tri-

poli has accepted the construction of

the treatment plant, exclusively for the

residuary waters of Tripoli, Mina, Bed-

daoui and Kalamoun, without taking in

account as it was mentioned previously

in the design, the collection of waste

water resulting from the upstream dis-

tricts. It is important to mention that in

2006, the French Agency of Develop-

ment has launched the study and

construction of residuary water collec-

�

Nahr Brahim

THE PROCESS OF OPTIMIZATION REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANTSIN LEBANON REPRESENTS A COMPLICATED TASKTO BE SOLVED ON THEBASES OF TECHNICALAND ECONOMICALCRITERIA

conventional treatment plants (Acti-

vated sludge) which require big sur-

faces (0.1 to 0.3 m² per inhabitant) ac-

cording to the size and performance

of treatment, shall be replaced by the

compacted plants with technical per-

formances.

The development of high perfor-

mance compact technologies for the

residuary water treatment such as

biological reactors of fixed cultivation

or biological filtration are very suita-

ble for the coastal zones. For ins-

tance, a biological infiltration system

with a land occupation of 0.4 to 0.006

m2 par person used for a city of 2 mil-

lion inhabitants, can be placed on a

land of only 40000 m² or under the

natural ground.

The MEW have foreseen the collec-

tion and the treatment of waste water

of Koura, Zgharta, Minye and a part of

Dinniye districts through the treat-

ment plant located in Tripoli. This ap-

proach was suggested in order to

preserve the quality of ground water

that supplies the city from the Habb

source aquifer. Thus, any pollution in-

filtrating in the ground water in the

regions of Koura, Zgharta, Minie and

Water

75

tion and treatment plant situated in the

region of Koura. As to the 14 treatment

plants of Becharre district, planned wi-

thin the global waste water frame-

work, the MEW considered that it

would be necessary to reexamine the

locations of these plants and reduce

their number in a way to mitigate the

costs of expropriation, construction,

operation and maintenance by preser-

ving the touristic site of the Saints Val-

ley (Kadisha).

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LITANI BASINThe Litani River is the major national

Lebanese watercourse that takes it

rise from Baalbeck (source of Aalleik) �

at an altitude of 1000m. It crosses

through the Bekaa plain to form after

a bend in South Lebanon near the

Beaufort castle and discharge in the

Mediterranean Sea in Qasmieh near

Tyre city. The surface of its water-

shed, evaluated to be 2175 Km², co-

vers approximately 20% of the total

surface of the Lebanese territory. Its

annual average flow is estimated to

be 700 mm³ and passes through the

national Lebanese territory. This river

takes its importance and from the de-

velopment of projects which are ac-

tually in operation or that shall be rea-

lized therein in the near future. The

Litani projects will generate direct

economic benefits to the rural socie-

ties of the Bekaa and South Lebanon.

Before stating the present situation

and prospects of the Litani future, it is

necessary to recall that the great

merit for the development of this na-

tional project goes back in 1958 to the

engineers Alfred Naccache, Ibrahim

Abdel Al, Selim Lahoud and Cheikh

Maurice Gemayel. These well known

Engineers and planners have grasped

all the importance of this river for the

socio-economic future of Lebanon.

In 1952, the Lebanese Government at

the time of the mandate of President

Camille Chamoun, called for an Ame-

rican commission representing the

Bureau of Reclamation, one of the

prominent authorities of the United

76

States of Interior specialized in wa-

ters and dams, in order to establish an

exhaustive and global study of this

basin. This commission arrived to Le-

banon in 1952, at the same time with

the Johnston mission which was sent

to the region, by the United States Go-

vernment in order to draw the base

lines for the sharing of the Jordan

River sharing among riparian states.

In 1954, The U.S mission of the “Bureau

of Reclamation” published its six vo-

lumes report entitled “Integrated Ma-

nagement of the Litani Basin” and pre-

sent it to the Lebanese Government.

The major lines of this document

concern the following themes:

� Irrigation sector

The construction of Qaraoun and

Khardale dams designated for the ir-

rigation of a surface evaluated

around 21000 ha in the Bekka and

31500 ha in the South.

�Drinking water sector

The construction of Bisri dam plan-

ned to supply Beirut city with water.

�Hydroelectric production

The creation of six hydroelectric units

with a potential of 170 Megawatts.

The report of the U.S Bureau of Re-

clamation motivated the Lebanese

government to create on the 14th of

August 1954 the Litani River Authority

(LRA). The official decree of the LRA

implementation stated that an inde-

pendent office should be created with

the objective of executing irrigation,

drainage, drinking water and energy

projects, in the framework of a global

management plan for the Lebanese

water resources.

It is important to notice that since

1954, the policy followed by the LRA,

was to start the execution of the hy-

droelectric plants with the intent to fi-

nance from the power production, the

irrigation and drinking water supply.

On the basis of this approach the Le-

banese officials at that time, believed

that they were able to ensure the ne-

cessary financing of the major deve-

lopment phases of the LRA project. In

1970s, the development works of the

LRA were completely blocked be-

cause of the wars that started in Le-

banon and mainly during the Israeli

occupation of the South.

Another important launching of the

projects started in 1993 with the de-

velopment of a strategic five-year

plan initiated by Dr. Fadi Comair,

chairman of LRA.

This plan focused on several major

strategic orientations:

Development of about 57000 ha irri-

gation schemes located in the Bekaa

(25000 ha) and South Lebanon (32000

ha) including the rehabilitation of the

Qaraoun dam.

�

Hasbani river

Water

77

Rehabilitation of hydroelectric pro-

duction plants.

Design of Bisri dam designated for

the distribution of drinking water to

Beirut city.

Design of Khardale dam for the irri-

gation schemes in South Lebanon.

Vision on the institutional reform.

Administrative recovery plan and mo-

dernization of the LRA departments.

The LRA five-year plan was presen-

ted to two official delegations of the

World Bank who visited Lebanon in

1993. Following these visits, the

chairman of the Board Dr. Fadi Co-

mair mandated by the Minister of

Agriculture (MoA) Dr. Adel Cortas, vi-

sited in 1994 the World Bank in

Washington for the negotiation of a

loan agreement out of which 15 mil-

lion US$ were allocated to rehabili-

tate the LRA irrigation projects.

In 1996 the rehabilitation of the Kas-

mieh and West Bekaa projects star-

ted and also the LRA five-year plan

was submitted to Mr. Nabih Berri the

Speaker of the Parliament who re-

quested from the Gulf countries du-

ring an official visit the complemen-

tary financing of the South Lebanon

irrigation projects.

CONCLUSIONThe study of the water resources in

Lebanon shows clearly that this

country is blessed with an annual

precipitation volume of about 8 billion

m3/ year but several disadvantages

render the utilization of this water

quantity a very complicated task to be

accomplished. These parameters are

the following:

�90 % of the rainfall quantity occurs

with a period of three months.

�Evapotranspiration rate is evalua-

ted to be 50% and this volume will

tend to increase with the climate

change phenomenon.

�Geological Karstic nature of the

Lebanese soil induces a high infil-

tration ratio.

�Relying on groundwater utilization

as a major source of water supply

for the Lebanese population

constitutes a bad design for the

water planning and management

in Lebanon. This concept leads to

an over pumping of the aquifers

generating environmental pro-

blem as:

- Seawater intrusion in the costal

zone aquifer.

- High level drops of the water table in

the Bekaa valley.

- High financial consequences rela-

ted to the electricity bill to be paid by

the water establishment due to the

water pumping.

�Absence of waste water treatment

plant makes difficult the utilization

of non conventional resources for

agriculture and municipal sectors.

Also this resource could be used

for the artificial recharge of aqui-

fers in addition to the high pres-

sure induced on the ecosystems of

the watercourses.

�Absence of surface water storage

since the 1960 led to a continuous

discharge of fresh water in the Me-

diterranean sea amounting to

about 1.2 billion m3/year. This ir-

responsible behavior from the

water administration and the poli-

tical decision makers constitute a

waste of financial input to the na-

tional budget evaluated to be

around 100 billion US dollars. Until

2002 only the Qaraoun dam has

been built on the Litani River.

�Construction of Chabrouh dam

which was completed in October

2007 was the only project executed

of the 10 year strategic master plan

established by the GDHER-MEW.

�27 dams were planned to be execu-

ted in 10 years but unfortunately this

objective was not met and the dams

were not implemented mostly due

to political disturbances.

�Difficulties in the achievement of the

agricultural schemes forecast for

2010-2040 estimated to be 280 000

hectares without the implementa-

tion of the 10 year strategic master

plan. This situation will generate a

negative effect on the food security

of the country and will force the Le-

banese government to continue im-

porting its demands in agricultural

crops. The notion of “virtual water”

which is highly harmful for Lebanon

THE DEVELOPMENTOF HIGH PERFORMANCECOMPACT TECHNOLOGIES FORTHE RESIDUARYWATER TREATMENTSUCH AS BIOLOGICALREACTORS OF FIXEDCULTIVATION OR BIOLOGICAL FILTRATION AREVERY SUITABLE FORTHE COASTAL ZONES

water resources future utilization

will be applied and enforced by the

international community.

�The drinking and irrigation water

networks efficiencies should be

improved in order to meet IWRM

requirements with respect to the

water losses and for a better ser-

vice coverage.

�Other non conventional resources

for the future utilization such as:

sea fresh water spring, desalina-

tion and reuse of wastewater re-

quire a new complementary for-

mulation within the 10 year master

plan bearing in mind that the re-

sources utilizations by gravity

should be used at first priority.

�Climate change effect on Lebanon

tends to let the Lebanese territory

to be progressively drier. The first

obvious measure to be taken by the

Lebanese Government is to reduce

the amounts of water discharging

into the sea. Unfortunately due to

the political complication. The ap-

plicability of this solution seems to

be difficult.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

THE ENERGYREPORT

The result is the most ambi-

tious, science-based exami-

nation yet of a renewable and

clean energy future on a global

scale. It covers all energy needs and

the challenge of providing reliable

and safe energy to all. Importantly, it

uses deliberately conservative as-

sumptions: fossil fuel price in-

creases of no more than two per cent

annually, deployment of technolo-

gies available today and continuous

but not disruptive renewable energy

expansion. It is an ambitious but

achievable vision that outlines the

key changes required to achieve a

fully clean energy future and avoid

catastrophic climate change.

WHY AN ENERGY REPORT?The current fossil fuel energy para-

digm is not sustainable. A “business-

as-usual” approach to our energy fu-

ture will mean substantially higher

and more volatile energy costs, dri-

ven by increasing scarcity and fossil

fuel supplies from more physically

and politically challenging areas.

Energy security would continue to be

challenged by disruptions of supply,

accidents and disputes over energy

resources.

Moreover, 1.4 billion people have no

access to reliable electricity. Some

2.7 billion depend on traditional fuels

such as wood, charcoal or manure

for cooking and heating – often har-

vested in ways highly damaging to the

environment and used in ways highly

damaging to health.

Most seriously, fossil fuel use is by far

the most serious single contributor to

climate change, accounting for about

two thirds of all greenhouse gas

emissions. “Business-as-usual” sce-

narios are for both absolute emis-

sions and the energy share of emis-

sions to increase, adding to the cost

and incidence of already occurring

climate change impacts and offering

no chance for the world to stay below

unacceptable risk levels for runaway

climate change.

A fully sustainable renewable power

supply is the only way we can secure

energy for all and avoid environmen-

tal catastrophe.

IS A 100 PERCENT RENEWABLEENERGY SUPPLY POSSIBLEGLOBALLY BY 2050?The Ecofys scenario, contained wi-

thin The Energy Report, concludes

that it is technically feasible to sup-

ply everyone on Earth with the

energy they need by 2050, with 95

percent of this energy coming from

renewable sources utilizing techno-

logies current or in development

today. In its report, WWF indicates

how its vision of a 100 percent rene-

wable and sustainable energy supply

could be realized.

THE ECOFYS SCENARIOIn 2050, ambitious energy saving

measures result in total energy de-

78

The Energy Report is a WWF collaborationwith energy consultancy Ecofys that explorespowering the world entirely by renewable ener-gy by the middle of this century.

79

need minimal energy for heating

and cooling and there is a shift to

more efficient means of transport.

As far as possible electrical energy

is used instead of solid or liquid

fuels. Wind, solar, geothermal and

hydropower are the main sources of

electricity, with solar and geother-

mal sources, as well as heat pumps

providing a large share of heat for

buildings and industry. “Smart”

electricity grids store and deliver

energy more efficiently.

Bioenergy (liquid biofuels and solid

mand being 15 percent lower than in

2005 – despite population, industrial

output, passenger travel and freight

transport rising as projected.

Industry uses more recycled and

energy efficient materials, buildings

are constructed or upgraded to �

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81

�

Energy

biomass) is used as a last resort

where other renewable energy

sources are not viable – for aircraft,

ships and truck haulage and indus-

trial processes requiring very high

temperatures.

World energy supply by source under

the Ecofys scenario

WHAT IS THE INVESTMENTNEEDED AND WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT?By 2050, we save nearly €4 trillion

($US 5.4 trillion) annually through

energy efficiency and reduced fuel

costs over a “business-as-usual”

scenario. However, big increases in

capital expenditure are needed first

– to install renewable energy gene-

rating capacity on a massive scale,

modernize electricity grids, trans-

form goods and public transport

and improve the energy efficiency of

existing buildings. These will grow

over the next 25 years from about €1

trillion to about €3.5 trillion a year

($US 1.4-4.7 trillion). Our invest-

ments begin to pay off around 2040,

when the savings start to outweigh

the costs. If oil prices rise faster

than predicted and we factor in the

costs of climate change and the im-

pact of fossil and traditional fuels on

public health, the payoff occurs

much earlier.

ARE THERE ENOUGH RENEWABLE ENERGYSOURCES TO MEET THE ENERGY NEEDS OF ALL?Currently, more than 80 percent of

our global energy comes from fossil

fuels. Under the Ecofys scenario,

fossil fuels, nuclear power and tra-

ditional biomass are almost entirely

phased out by 2050. Realistically,

can a more varied mix of renewable

fuels make up the shortfall?

Taking into account factors such as

overall potential, current growth

rates, and appropriate selected sus-

tainability constraints, the Ecofys

scenario builds up a picture of the

“realizable potential” of available re-

newable energy resources. In most

cases, the realizable potential

greatly exceeds the projected 2050

energy demands on the resource –

by many orders of magnitude in the

case of all uses of solar power;

more than double in the case of

offshore wind, wave and tidal power,

high temperature and geo-ther-

mally generated electricity; and

substantially in the case of onshore

wind and low temperature geother-

mal energy.

The exception is hydropower, where

realizable potential is constrained

by concerns over the environmental

and human costs of large dams and

thus the 2050 contribution of hydro-

power is close to its realizable po-

tential. To limit impacts on food sup-

plies and biodiversity, bio-energy

production is constrained.

Efficiency and electrification – two

key pathways of The Energy Report

The Ecofys scenario of 15 percent

lower global energy demand by 2050

is in marked contrast to “business-

as-usual” projections similar popu-

lation and economic activity as-

sumptions, which predict a doubling

in energy demand. Energy conser-

vation is the most important ele-

ment in achieving a sustainable, re-

newable energy future – but in every

sector, solutions already exist that

can deliver the massive energy sa-

vings required. The challenge is rol-

ling them out on a global scale as

soon as possible.

Buildings are major users of energy,

yet these can be made virtually

energy neutral (or even energy posi-

tive) with current technologies.

Heating needs can be reduced by at

least 60 percent by insulating walls,

roofs and ground floors; replacing

old windows; and installing ventila-

tion systems that recover heat.

Local solar thermal systems, low

temperature geothermal heat, and

heat pumps and other efficient

technologies would fulfill the remai-

ning heating and hot water needs.

New buildings need to be regulated

to meet these high efficiency stan-

dards as soon as possible. For all

buildings to meet these standards

by 2050, 2-3 per cent of existing floor

area would need to be retrofitted

every year.

This is ambitious but achievable:

Germany has already reached an-

nual retrofit rates in this range.

The Ecofys scenario for a renewable

energy future depends upon using

electrical power from clean, rene-

wable sources in place of fossil fuels

and nuclear wherever possible. This

would bring electricity from less

than one fifth of total final energy

demand to almost half.

Moving from fossil fuels to renewa-

ble electricity presents challenges.

The first priority should be to up-

grade current electricity grids to mix

and distribute more and more varia-

ble sources of electrical energy. Ef-

ficient international networks will

also help balance variable renewa-

ble sources from different regions.

Within Europe, for example, wind

and ocean power from the North

Sea area could complement Alpine

hydropower and solar power from

the Mediterranean and even North

Africa.

Smart grids will help transmission

operators, power companies, busi-

nesses and consumers manage

load and demand with supply. Ex-

cess power would be used to top-up

storage (notably in car batteries)

and to generate hydrogen fuel. Elec-

trification would also make major

inroads into transport.

A FULLY SUSTAINABLERENEWABLE POWERSUPPLY IS THE ONLYWAY WE CAN SECUREENERGY FOR ALL AND AVOID ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE

�

82

WHY IS BIO-ENERGY HEDGEDWITH SAFEGUARDS?The use of biomass fuels is recogni-

zed as among the most contentious

issues raised by The Energy Report,

but there are some transport and in-

dustrial needs that under current and

feasible technologies are unlikely to

be met without liquid and solid fuels.

Biomass is the only renewable op-

tion. Part of this demand can be met

from waste products, but, under the

Ecofys scenario, it would still be ne-

cessary to grow sustainable biofuel

crops and take more wood from well-

managed forests to meet demand.

Careful land use planning and effec-

tive international cooperation and re-

gulatory arrangements will be nee-

ded to ensure that energy demands

are met without threatening food or

water supplies, or threatening biodi-

versity through direct or indirect in-

centives for land clearing. Bioenergy

from algae is likely to ease some land

use pressures as 2050 approaches.

BRINGING ENERGY TO EVERYONEA sustainable energy future must be a

fair one, in which the equal right of

every person to benefit from the

world’s energy resources is recogni-

zed. Around one fifth of humanity lacks

access to reliable electricity and two

fifths are in need of clean cooking and

heating fuels and technologies. Rene-

wable and efficiency based solutions

are generally already available, exten-

ding from large scale renewable power

generation (solar power in Africa, geo-

thermal in Indonesia) through to com-

munity level power installations based

on solar, wind turbines, micro-hydro or

biogas; and down to solar, biogas or

fuel efficient cooking stoves.

WILL MOVING TO A RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTUREAFFECT LIFESTYLES?The Ecofys scenario shows that we can

supply almost all of our energy needs

from renewable sources by 2050 while

maintaining rates of economic growth

and leading prosperous, healthy life-

styles. Indeed, quality of life for many

will improve immeasurably with ac-

cess to electricity and clean energy.

We will, however, need to make wiser

choices about the way we use energy.

Some lifestyle changes will allow us

to reach a renewable energy future

while reducing our impact on the pla-

net. Key will be growing enough food

to nourish a growing global popula-

tion and limiting bio-energy demand

from pushing our forests, agricultu-

ral land and freshwater ecosystems

to the limit. To achieve such a ba-

lance, the Ecofys scenario assumes

meat consumption is more equitable,

and growth in overall meat consump-

tion is limited. This would mean a

halving of meat consumption per

person by 2050 in OECD countries

and an increase by a quarter elsew-

here – with significant dietary bene-

fits for all. Food wastage and food

transport would also be reduced.

Personal mobility will also rise by

2050, with the overall distances people

travel increasing by half in OECD

countries and trebling in the rest of the

world. The Ecofys scenario suggests

we can manage those increases by

moving towards more efficient forms

of transport, walking and cycling over

short distances, and making more use

of public transport including replacing

a proportion of plane travel with train

travel – and making use of improved

communications technology to make

some travel unnecessary. Cuts

beyond the Ecofys projections, parti-

cularly in air travel, would substan-

tially reduce the needs for biofuels.

Making lifestyle changes will take

time, but history shows that people

will change their behaviors when they

understand the benefits, and when

policies steer them in the right direc-

tion. Recycling is now second nature

in many countries, while smoking

rates have fallen with growing know-

ledge of the health risks. A better un-

derstanding of the impacts of our

own choices will help us move toward

a fair and fully renewable future.

GETTING FROM HERE TO THEREAlthough public investment will be

important, business, community and

even individual investment will play a

key role. Financial incentives for re-

newable energy, such as feed-in ta-

riffs, are a key means of creating a

more favorable climate for renewable

energy, guaranteeing payments to

households, businesses, communi-

ties and other organizations genera-

ting their own electricity. Feed-in ta-

riffs are now available in more than

50 countries, including parts of

China, India and the US.

WHAT NOW?Achieving a sustainable renewable

energy future will take determined

action at the international, national,

community and individual levels –

and the sooner such action is taken

the earlier the benefits will be reali-

zed. At the international level, the

clearest priorities are strong interna-

tional agreement on climate change

action, including viable levels of as-

sistance to help developing countries

to a sustainable energy future. Regio-

nal, national and local governments

need to cut perverse subsidies and

commit to targets and pathways to

energy efficiency and renewable

power. Business needs to begin follo-

wing some of their own leaders into a

green economy future. And indivi-

duals need to consider the implica-

tions of their energy use and lend

their support to moving to a sustaina-

ble rather than an anxious and threa-

tened future.

� BUILDINGS ARE MAJOR USERS OF ENERGY,YET THESE CAN BE MADE VIRTUALLYENERGY NEUTRAL OR EVEN ENERGYPOSITIVE WITH CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

Projects of Residences Within Nature Overlooking The Horizon

85

�

Architect Youssef TohmeOUT OF NATURE COMES THE NEW GENERATION OF ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGNS

It all takes personal initiative. Key

people with personal initiatives

create super impacts that affect us

for generations to come. Youssef Tohme

is such a person. An architect who has

made it his mission to not replace na-

ture with inhabitable structures, but

instead to make nature an integral part

of these structures. He designs breath-

taking structures with as minimal waste

to nature as possible. A true ecologist at

heart and mind.

A modest person by nature, Tohme has

been a practicing architect for the better

part of his adult life. He refined his skill at

occupying empty spaces with the most

creative structures not only in relation to

its surrounding, but also in the living

space within the structure itself whether

it is a home or an academic institution.

No compromise is made for the functio-

nality of the space vis-à-vis its eco-

friendly connotation.

Combining architecture with nature

into a blend of connection, Youssef

Tohme is able to create designs that

boldly defy the traditionally accepted

norms. “I make designs that both re-

sembles its inhabitants while at the

same time are an integral part of the

surrounding nature,” Tohme states.

When designing a home, he takes into

account the character of the people he

is creating a home for, as well as the

landscape and nature upon which the

structure will be constructed. He be-

lieves in respect between man and na-

ture as the basis of dialogue to preserve

Sustainable Development

By Hala HABIB

Top Left:Gemmayze Project

Top Right & Bottom Photos:USJ Project

87

the environment for mans survival. In his

quest to change the mainstream archi-

tecture conceptions both locally and in-

ternationally, Tohme strives to make

each structure a landmark in its sur-

rounding hill or mountainside location.

Tohme has thus far designed 17 villas

that are under construction, and an addi-

tional section to the USJ university (Uni-

versité Saint-Joseph) in the past three

years that he has been in Lebanon. Be-

fore that, Tohme studied and practiced

architecture in Paris for almost 20 years.

The main and most basic theme that

Tohme works on is the horizon in duality

with void and landscape, but also kee-

ping the individual aspect to each design.

Tohme believes that the recent history

and psychology of the Lebanese people

plays a role in their quest for an open

space to the horizon. Every Lebanese

person has a dream to own a house with

a view to the sea on the horizon and a bit

of mountainside and skyline. And Leba-

non’s geography is shaped in such a way

that it is elongated and exposed on one

side to the Mediterranean seaside along

its western coastline.

One of the most complex yet challenging

projects Tohme is working on is the USJ

extension building. The challenge comes

from the fact that he was commissioned

with creating an extension building wi-

thin a very limited space which is restric-

ted by established buildings of the uni-

versity. Not only had he the challenge of

designing and constructing a building,

but he had to take into account the sur-

rounding buildings and the spirit of the

whole project. This project was created in

collaboration with “109 Architectes” to

construct an artisanal design occupying

a space of 60,000 msq in the heart of the

USJ campus in Beirut.

When entering this huge structure, one

feels like being in the presence of a

Greek assembly where students and

people of different backgrounds and

thinking meet together.

The contemporary architectural mains-

tream that Youssef Tohme is leading the

way in Lebanon, is clearly influencing the

thinking of people when it comes to their

need for a home in the city. A city like Bei-

rut is dotted with concrete buildings with

little shape and no thought for ecological

�

�

Sustainable Development

Top, Center & Bottom Left:GBA - Project; Villa in ProgressLocation: Lebanon, KaakourType: Residential Project Total Area: 2.500 sqm

Top Right:HAC - Project; Competition House of Art & Culture Location: Lebanon, Beirut Central DistrictType: Institutional Project Total Area: 40.000 sqm

89

well-being of the city. Tohme has defied

this mainstream and convinced people

that it is possible to own a villa in the

heart of the city and enjoy the horizon

with a vast garden as is the case of the

building he is constructing in the Gem-

mayze area in Achrafieh, Beirut. Each

apartment is 220 msq with a height of

4.2m, including a garden of 100 msq.

This gives the occupant a feel of living in

a villa in the heart of the city. It is a villa

with nature in Achrafieh. Tohme is glad

that people have started changing their

minds and accepting eco-friendly homes

with solar-powered heating, which might

be costlier at first but is money-saving in

the long run.

An example of Tohme’s villa within nature

is the GBA-Project, a villa in progress oc-

cupying a space of 2,500 square meters in

the mountainous Kaakour area. It’s a ho-

rizontally open space from the front side

which looks like concrete slabs protru-

ding from the landscape. The interior of

the GBA project is made of a large open

space with a clear view of the horizon.

A project that Tohme has design but will

not implement is the HAC Project which

is made up of two towers caught in a

dance in time. This was a project he sub-

mitted for the House of Art & Culture

Competition and comprises a space of

40,000 sqm. It is a unique design that re-

flects the culture of Lebanon according

to Tohme. He conceived it as a dance bet-

ween two cultures, which reflect the cur-

rent situation in Lebanon. The two buil-

dings although not connected, are very

closely located to each other and are

made of a fragile outer layer depicting

the continuous fragile situation reflecting

the daily lives of people in this country.

Reflecting on the future, Tohme feels

that the way forward is in the new

contemporary designs that are eco-

friendly since the mentality of the people

are changing and becoming more envi-

ronmental-conscious.

It is architects like Youssef Tohme that

will one day be regarded as the men who

courageously led the way towards chan-

ging the face of architecture in Lebanon

to the contemporary movement that is

bringing back people to nature.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

www.yousseftohme.com

�

YOUSSEFTOHMEBorn in 1969, YoussefTohme graduated fromthe French universityof architecture “l’Ecoled’Architecture Paris-Villemin” where hetaught theory and rep-resentation classes in2004.In 2001-2002, heworked as a chief archi-tect on the redesignstudy of the “Gared’Austerlitz” at AREP.A year later he becamean assistant chief archi-tect at Atelier Jean

Nouvel Paris on the project Landmark in Beyrouth.In 2004 he became achief architect on the Louvre Abou Dhabi Museum for the preliminaryphase. In the same time, he worked in Lebanon in collaboration with “109architectes” on the project “Campus de l‘innovation, de l’économie et dusport à Beyrouth (USJ)” which is currently under construction. In January2008 he opens his own office in Lebanon with an offshore in Paris. Witha team of young Lebanese and international architects, he tries to translatethe deep theoretical & technical research in his projects holding a power-ful urban agenda (A-Project-Romania) or on more specific projects (S-Pro-ject-T-project & M-Project- Lebanon AD-Project France ect…).Major reflexions on society, territories and writing interest him: He ques-tions our relationship with the world, reinterprets it, appropriates it andthen adapts it …

Sustainable Development

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

Ahmed Baghoum, Associate Director of City Operations, Masdar City, talks about

THE FIRST ECO-FRIENDLYCITY IN MENA

By Cathy CHAMI TYAN

Aerial view of Masdar City

At the European Future Energy

Forum that was held for the

first time in London in October

2010, Ahmed Baghoum, Associate

Director of City Operations - Masdar

City, shared with World Environment

Magazine his views of the critical role

of sustainable cities in our society’s

future development. His experience

in facilitating the advancement of

Masdar City lends plenty of unique in-

sights and perspectives.

Cathy C. Tyan: What is Masdar and

how did it start?

Ahmed Baghoum: Masdar is a holistic

approach to clean technologies. It

aims at developing a full spectrum of

green technologies and green ener-

gies. It is an integration of develop-

ment and innovation with sustainable

production and the export of know-

ledge. It includes Masdar Power,

Masdar City, the Masdar Institute of

Science and Technology and Masdar

Capital. Today, it is well rooted in Abu

Dhabi's vision.

It all started with the vision of the late

Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, the founder

of the UAE, and has continued with his

sons who want to materialize the great

ideas and the vision of their late father.

Though Masdar is not the first eco-

city in the world, it is the first of its

kind in the MENA region and it is the

first holistic approach to green

energy and green technologies. We

can safely say that the first phase of

the project is almost complete.

In your opinion, what will be the eco-

nomical, social and environmental

impact of sustainable cities on the

lives of ordinary people?

In terms of lifestyle, social, environ-

mental and economic aspects of the

particularity of Masdar is the fact that

it is a mix-use city. A city where you

can work, live and enjoy a high quality

of life with the lowest environmental

footprint at the same time. When the

idea of Masdar was launched we

went back to old Arab cities and got

inspired by the old architecture of

these cities. Peoples' lives will im-

prove because they will be reducing

their environmental impact and they

will be living in a less polluted envi-

ronment. At Masdar City we will be

able to achieve great results such as

50% reduction in water and energy

consumption and waste.

The partnerships developed by Mas-

dar with governments and the private

sector have a high economic impact.

Our goal is to seek the development of

new technologies making it interes-

ting for other companies to base their

offices and headquarters in Masdar.

According to specialists, COP16 is

going to be another failure. Big

players are not ready to find an

agreement to reduce CO2 emis-

sions. Do you think that big oil

companies are ready to accept and

support the development of sustai-

nable cities?

Big oil companies are already accep-

ting the changes in the consumption

of energy. They have all developed a

division in green technologies and

work to develop clean fossil fuels by

encouraging new emerging techno-

logies. We need to give them the

credit for becoming more socially

responsible.

Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development

93

�

phot

os: M

asda

r

94

On what will the future of sustaina-

ble urban development depend?

It will depend mostly on the readiness

of technologies to help build environ-

ment-friendly cities or eco-cities but

also in socially viable terms. One of

our challenges when the idea of Mas-

dar emerged was the inexistent tech-

nologies such as hybrid cars. Today,

all big car manufacturers are develo-

ping such cars. It will also depend on

the readiness of governments and le-

gislation and policies.

Don’t you think that the world has

other priorities to solve such as hun-

ger and life threatening diseases be-

fore thinking of developing sustaina-

ble cities?

Definitely yes, we need to change the

way we live. Governments need to

commit to change. According to

scientists, if we continue to live the

way we are living today, we will need

the equivalent of five planets to sus-

tain us. The world needs to commit

and is slowly changing. These new ci-

ties will definitely help in the aspect of

disease control and poverty by redu-

cing pollution and CO2 emissions.

Do you think that big cities such as

Cairo, Mexico City, Mumbai can one

day become sustainable cities? If

not, what will be the solution to im-

prove life in these mega poles?

We believe the name of the game

for big cities to change this aspect

is through the wide spectrum of

green technologies and through

energy efficiency.

Many countries today are facing

major environmental problems in

their cities but have empty and

desert lands, do you think that de-

veloping new sustainable cities in

these places such as Masdar are

the solution?

New cities developing in remote

areas or outside big cities are part of

the natural growth process of popu-

lation. Countries like Japan, China

and India have developed totally new

eco-cities that are cleaner, energy ef-

ficient and living on clean fossil fuels.

Many people criticize the livability of

such cities. In your opinion, will Mas-

dar be a success story that will

change these ideas?

At Masdar we want a city that is liva-

ble with a high quality of life with the

lowest environmental foot print.

That's why every aspect of the city has

been studied and detailed such as the

planning of the city. It will not be pu-

rely residential or purely commercial

but it will be a mixed community with

leisure time as well.

At what stage of development is the

whole project?

Phase One of the city will be ready by

2015. We invite companies to come

and establish their headquarters and

to deploy their technologies. Masdar

will become the showcase for the

whole region with regards to all green

technologies. The city will be inhabi-

ted by 40,000 people in addition to

that, it will receive 50,000 business

commuters. Phase One is of one mil-

lion square meters with IRENA and

the Masdar Institute of Science and

Technology. The full city will be ready

by 2025 and is very well located bet-

ween the busy district of Abu Dhabi

and Dubai. Masdar City, along the

new developments nearby, will be the

new ‘downtown’ of Abu Dhabi.

�

THE PARTICULARITYOF MASDARIS THEFACT THAT IT IS AMIX-USECITY. A CITYWHERE YOUCAN WORK, LIVEAND ENJOY A HIGHQUALITY OF LIFEWITH THE LOWESTENVIRONMENTALFOOTPRINTAT THE SAME TIME

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

By Amy SIMPhotos By Mimo KHAIR

CHINA: PROGRESS IN ENVIRONMENTALINFORMATION DISCLOSURE BUT POLLUTION DATA STILL WITHHELD

Eco-Living

online mechanisms to facilitate access to environmental

information and the submission of information requests

by the public.

The report entitled Access to Environmental Information

in China: Evaluation of Local Compliance was launched in

December 2010. It was written by Sim Kok Eng Amy from

ARTICLE 19 and Hu Jing from the Center for Legal Assis-

tance to Pollution Victims (CLAPV) at the China University

Areport published by ARTICLE 19 and the Centre for

Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims (CLAPV) at

the China University of Political Science and Law,

found progress in access to government-held environ-

mental information in China. A significant amount of en-

vironmental information has been disclosed by the local

environmental protection bureaus (EPB) both proactively

and upon requests. In some cities, local EPBs have set up

Eco-Living

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100

of Political Science and Law. The report outlines the find-

ings of the first evaluation on access to environmental in-

formation in seven cities across China.

Despite the improvement in access to environmental in-

formation, there is still a wide gap between existing prac-

tices and the legal requirements under China’s Open Gov-

ernment Information Regulations and Measures on Open

Environmental Information (for Trial Implementation). In

particular, information relating to pollutant emissions,

waste disposal and list of illegally polluting enterprises is

the hardest to obtain. In addition, disclosure of environ-

mental information by large enterprises is very limited,

which is likely due to the lack of legal requirements on en-

terprises to publish information.

One of the main objectives of the study is to empower local

communities to exercise their right to information (RTI) to

monitor pollution and accountability of local environ-

mental authorities. Grassroots environmental organiza-

tions across China were trained in access to environmen-

tal information. Among them, seven were selected to

carry out the evaluation by submitting information re-

quests to their EPBs and examining published environ-

ment information on the websites and other communi-

cation channels of local environmental agencies and

large enterprises. This activity has enhanced their ability

to exercise their right to information.

“Through participating in this survey, we see that there is

much improvement in EPB’s work on environmental in-

formation disclosure. However, there is still room for im-

provement,” says Liu Hong Ming, a member of Friends of

Nature Shanghai who participated in the survey, “As a

civil society organization, we need to step up our work on

�

�

ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIESMAY HAVE BEEN UNWILLINGTORELEASEINFORMATION ON POLLUTANT EMISSIONSFOR FEAROF AFFECTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTOR GENERATING NEGATIVE PRESS. BUT SUCH AN APPROACH IS UNSUSTAINABLE. THEFREEFLOW OF INFORMATIONISKEY TO THE MONITORINGOFRESPONSIBLE ENVIRONMENTALBEHAVIOURSAND FOR THE EXECUTION OF TIMELYRESPONSES TO SERIOUS INDUSTRIAL IMPACTS TOTHE ENVIRONMENT

THROUGH PARTICIPATING IN THIS SURVEY, WE SEE THAT THERE IS MUCH IMPROVEMENTIN EPB’S WORK ON ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION DISCLOSURE. HOWEVER, THERE ISSTILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

103

information disclosure, and build our own capacities and

skills in making information request.”

In the report, ARTICLE 19 and CLAPV provide a set of rec-

ommendations to the Chinese environmental agencies

and civil society organizations, to strengthen govern-

ment’s mechanism and capacity for environmental infor-

mation disclosure, establish standards on information

disclosure by enterprises, and enhance collaboration

among civil society organisations on promoting greater

access to environmental information.

BACKGROUNDAt the end of 2005, the State Council of the People’s Re-

public of China adopted the “Decision on Implementing

the Scientific Concept of Development and Strengthen-

ing Environmental Protection”. Under the measures to

develop mechanisms for fostering community monitor-

ing, it was stated that information on environmental pol-

lution incidents should be released timely in order to

provide opportunities for public participation. It also un-

derscored that enterprises should be open about envi-

ronmental information.

In 2007, the State Council and the State Environmental

Protection Administration (SEPA) adopted the Regula-

tions on Open Government Information (“the OGI Regula-

tions”) and the Measures for Open Environmental Infor-

mation (for Trial Implementation) (“the OEI Measures”)

respectively. Both legal documents were made effective

on May 1, 2008.

To support the implementation of these two legal docu-

ments, raise awareness among citizens on their right to

access information, and increase public participation and

� transparency in environmental governance, ARTICLE 19

and the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims at

the China University of Political Science and Law (CLAPV,

also known as the Research and Service Center for Envi-

ronmental and Natural Resources Law) implemented the

Access to Environmental Information project in 2010.

THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF FOUR MAIN ACTIVITIES �Training on access to environmental information for en-

vironmental officers and representatives of civil society

organizations;

�Mobilising local civil society organisations to conduct an

evaluation on environmental information disclosure;

�Workshop on access to environmental information;

�Publication of a book on access to environmental infor-

mation in China and abroad.

The training course was held in Beijing on May 7 and 8,

2010. More than 40 environmental officers and civil socie-

ty organizations representatives from across China at-

tended. The evaluation on environmental information dis-

closure was carried out from mid-July to mid-October,

2010, and the findings were shared at the workshop held

on the November 21 in Beijing. The book on access to en-

vironmental information in China and abroad is slated for

publication in 2011.

TO ACCESS THE REPORT VISIT

www.article19.org/pdfs/reports/access-to-

environmental-information-in-china-evaluation-of-

local-compliance-.pdf

WE NEED TO STEP UP OUR WORK ON INFORMATION DISCLOSURE,ANDBUILDOUR OWN CAPACITIES AND SKILLS IN MAKING INFORMATION REQUEST

Eco-Living

By Piercarlo CRACHI

Restoring the Museum of Libya,

formerly known as the Palace

of the People, is based on the

principle of philological restoration,

which is actualy in compliance with

the existing trees and/or with the

reintegration of their missing parts by

maintaining the original design.

The project draws its inspiration from

an existing site plan still clearly visible

today, which reflects the original plan

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

drawn-up by Public Works of Tripoli

between the years 1926-1931.

The original structure was conceived

by an Italian engineer from Milan,

Saul Wonder Mantegazza who was

commissioned to design the resi-

dence and representative office of the

Governor of Italian Libya. He conjured

up a magnificent architecture which

is currently restored and dedicated to

house the Museum of Libya.

The floor plan of the garden covers a

dense network of pedestrian and car

ways that comprise several stairs and

retaining walls to resolve the diffe-

rences in altitude. The garden covers

about four hectares distributed in an

original way with the creation of the

garden on the western side typically

Western, an Italian garden in the cen-

tral raised part and the Islamic gar-

den in the eastern part.

THE MUSEUM OF LIBYAA RESTORATION PROJECT OF THE GARDEN OF TRIPOLI’S FORMER PALACE OF THE PEOPLE

�

South side pools project

East side actual view East side project

South side pools actual view

Project by : Studio Crachi-Roma, Italywww.studiocrachi.com

Ordered by: The Libyan Government

106

On the right side coming from the

north and heading towards the wes-

tern part was the riding stables,

which no longer exists. The project

has been redesigned with the same

shape and is intended as parking

space for the public with a row of cy-

press trees placed in the center, on

the same side is previewed for the

restoration of the adjacent kiosk in

the middle of the road in a horseshoe

shape, now mostly rock garden.

On the west side is the rose garden

with concentric circular steps for

containment of plants with fountain

jets in the middle shelf. The dense

network of irregular English style

avenues that intersect on this side

delimiting numerous flower beds and

garden shows the typical Western

style garden.

The central Italian garden has been

restored preserving the lattice of iron

arches exedra destined to receive the

plants. The five fountains, which re-

semble eighteenth century plants,

are restored along with the play of

water to gush. New classical sculp-

tures in Carrara marble under the

arches and around the pools were

new additions to the original site.

The Islamic garden to the east is cha-

racterized by a series of fountains

and a large arbor 133 meters long

with square pilasters covered with

polychrome tiles. The arbor, which no

longer exists, has been restored and

is dedicated to the rose garden.

The fountains at the top of the cen-

tral square of the pergola, reminds

us of the Arabic well profile, while

the floor tiles are a reminiscence of

the pattern of oriental rugs. The ori-

ginal objective of the architect was

to create different emotions through

the narrow streets that intersect

with each other, always creating

new backgrounds and new perspec-

tives. In the east part towards the

south part, special care has been

taken to maintain the original des-

ign by creating a maze of green

bamboo garden and a double bay

with sculptures inspired by the ara-

besque zoomorphism.

The integration of new native plants

and trees require the creation of new

green beds created along the ave-

nues and adorned with thirty new

stone sculptures of African animals

(turtles, elephants, lions, sphinxes,

eagles, crocodiles ...).

The great avenue of existing gray as-

phalt becomes red, more suitable for

a park road.

The walkways will be paved with

local stone or gravel. The curbs of

concrete painted white board, exis-

ting in the flower beds, will be repla-

ced with marble.

The existing concrete benches were

replaced with stone ones designed

exclusively for this park. The lighting

system has been redesigned and

will be of two types: the rehabilita-

tion and integration of the original

cast iron street lamps and the instal-

lation of modern LED lights reces-

sed in the ground for the lighting of

the tree crowns.

A new system spreads the sound in

the open with special equipment for

outdoor use.

The irrigation system has been rede-

signed with the zoning in areas plan-

ned for the water needs of different

types of plants.

�

All palace's gardens plain project

By Erika ROSHDI

108

The issue of corporate respon-

sibility and sustainability is

now widely incorporated into

business strategies, whether it

arises from a fear of public opinion

or a genuine understanding of the

impact effective sustainability initia-

tives can have on business success.

However, whilst some organizations

gladly flout their ‘responsible’ acti-

vities for all to see, recent business

blunders point all too clearly to the

dangers of underlying short-ter-

mism and internal focus.

The competitive arena is changing.

It is no longer a clear-cut case of

profit versus corporate responsibi-

lity and, as governments, the media

and consumers increasingly shift

their focus to sustainability issues,

some businesses are already rea-

ping the competitive benefits of pur-

suing both.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

BUILDING TRUST AND MINIMIZING RISKOne crucial element of corporate res-

ponsibility is that of stakeholder en-

gagement and consultation, an area,

which is becoming more central to

the sustainability debate. The prac-

tice of involving key stakeholders in

project and product development has

long been recognized as an impor-

tant way to minimize risk and ensure

greater cooperation with, and accep-

tance of, the project.

Stakeholder engagement is vital in

engendering a focus on sustainability

throughout organizational activities.

By involving stakeholders at the deve-

lopment stage, organizations benefit

from a broadened pool of expertise

and knowledge. The decision-making

process will be more complete as a

wider range of perspectives is exami-

ned, helping to clarify and refine in-

tentions. Consulting stakeholders

throughout project lifecycles also in-

creases stakeholder ownership in

the finished product.

Generating stakeholder commit-

ment to projects reduces risk and

builds trust in the organization. Sta-

keholders that are consulted from

the initial planning phases will be

more willing to cooperate with orga-

nizational activities. This trust, in-

dispensible for positive corporate

reputation, is based on a two-way

communication and relationship with

stakeholders and cannot be establi-

shed simply with a successful adver-

tising campaign, or even with a favo-

rable annual report.

Organizations are also facing growing

pressure for transparency and ac-

countability in reporting their activi-

ties. Again, this involves more than

one-way communication from busi-

ONLINE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT: COMBINING SUSTAINABILITYWITH PROFITABILITYStakeholder engagement has, in recent years, started to take its rightfulplace as an important aspect in sustainability for both public and privatesector organizations. As the demand for organizational transparencyand accountability builds, businesses that have not yet deployed two-waystakeholder communication strategies will find themselves lagging behind their more perceptive competitors. This article explores thecompetitive advantages to be gained by the online engagement of keystakeholders from the initial planning phases of project development.

109

Eco-Living

�

nesses to stakeholders. An intros-

pective and internal perspective on

operations does not, unfortunately,

paint a complete picture of organiza-

tional activities and their impact on

local communities, businesses, envi-

ronment, suppliers, customers and

local government.

Stakeholder engagement that takes

place continuously, from making

operational decisions to the transpa-

rent reporting of organizational acti-

vities, has huge implications for busi-

ness success. Organizations that

weave ongoing stakeholder commu-

nication into their business strategies

place best practice at the centre of

their business, shaping all aspects of

the organization.

A CHANGING LANDSCAPEUntil recently, stakeholder engage-

ment has taken place primarily

through offline methods such as

face-to-face meetings, round-table

discussions and focus group consul-

tations at specific points in project

development, often on an ad-hoc

basis. This type of two-way dialogue

has been, and continues to be, es-

sential at various stages of the pro-

ject lifecycle in allowing organizations

to gather important feedback that

may well redefine the nature of the

project itself.

Whilst offline engagement has been

largely effective in gathering vital

input from stakeholders, the com-

munication landscape has under-

gone significant changes in recent

years. The Internet has changed the

way people communicate, from infor-

mation gathering and delivery to the

building of social networks where re-

lationships are actively cultivated. It is

no longer justifiable, or indeed useful,

merely to produce and maintain one-

way ommunication channels with

stakeholders.

However, given the online communi-

cation tools now widely available to

Multi-stakeholder dialogue: the development of online communication tools have paved the way for effective two-way multi-stakeholder engagement.IMS Consulting has observed that the public sector in particular has been an early mover in exploiting the opportunities available in this area.

BY INVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS ATTHE DEVELOPMENTSTAGE, ORGANIZATIONSBENEFIT FROM ABROADENED POOLOF EXPERTISE ANDKNOWLEDGE

110

businesses, many are failing to take

advantage of the opportunity to

build dynamic relationships with

stakeholders through ongoing, two-

way dialogue.

TAKING STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ONLINEOffline stakeholder engagement, al-

though important, is only possible

through the physical presence of the

parties involved. Given the some-

times unavoidable obstacles of time

and distance, it is not always possi-

ble to gather all those necessary for

consultation on a particular occa-

sion. Some parties may be unable or

unwilling to travel. Some may prefer

to remain anonymous, especially

where issues of contention are

concerned. One of the benefits of

the web, however, is its accessibility

to a wide audience anywhere, at any

time, making online stakeholder

engagement a far more convenient

option for most. Avoiding the limits

of pre-arranged face-to-face mee-

tings, parties can communicate at a

time and place that is suitable for

them. This can increase the level of

participation from stakeholders, wi-

dening the field of input and helping

to make the consultation more

meaningful.

Another differentiator between of-

fline and online stakeholder dia-

logue is the capability of the web to

objectively measure and quantify

the data gathered from two-way

communication, allowing busi-

nesses to react in an appropriate

and timely manner to consultation

outcomes. Genuine stakeholder en-

gagement that does more than pay

lip service to gathered opinions

must be implemented in a way that

is easy to evaluate. Online tools

such as stakeholder engagement

hubs, portals and comprehensive

surveys allow organizations to col-

lect and evaluate both quantitative

and qualitative data. This provides

businesses with a more complete

and accurate understanding of sta-

keholder views, resulting in mea-

ningful consultation that can be ef-

fectively addressed.

The UK Green Building Council (UK-

GBC), for example, recently under-

took its first member survey using

the StakeholderTALK Report! online

tool to better understand the issues

of most importance to their mem-

bers through quantifiable feedback.

The comprehensive survey, designed

and deployed by IMS Consulting, re-

ceived an exceptional response rate

of over 50% in two and a half weeks

of being live. Paul King, Chief Execu-

tive, commented: “This is a very en-

couraging result, as the survey was

comprehensive and some of the

questions fairly detailed. The main

benefit of the StakeholderTALK pro-

ject is that the results were quantifia-

ble and they have given us the oppor-

ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE WEB, HOWEVER,IS ITS ACCESSIBILITY TO A WIDE AUDIENCE ANYWHERE, AT ANY TIME, MAKING ONLINE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT A FAR MORE CONVENIENT OPTION FOR MOST

�

111

tunity to shape our future activities

based upon solid feedback from our

stakeholders”.

The web also allows traffic generated

by particular online communication

or output to be measured, allowing

businesses to gather information on

what is important to stakeholders

through their online behavior.

Through interactive newsletters and

news and information channels, bu-

sinesses can have a good indication

of the number of stakeholders that

engaged with particular messages

and updates, allowing them to build

on issues that are of importance and

interest to their stakeholders. This

aspect of online communication

gives organizations direction in their

sustainability strategies, enabling

them to base information provision,

policy developments and communi-

cations on issues significant to sta-

keholders.

Another example of two-way dia-

logue using StakeholderTALK is that

of the Morgan Sindall Group, who

have exploited such opportunities

presented by the web in creating on-

going dialogue through their sustai-

nability micro-site, where their stake-

holders are able to keep up to date

with the Group’s policy develop-

ments, recent projects and sustaina-

bility news. The site also gives the

company an indication of areas of in-

terest to stakeholders, providing a

focus for future activities.

Online communication tools allow

for information to be quickly and ea-

sily updated and adapted according

to specific needs. Stakeholders are

able to search through data in va-

rious formats such as video, speech

and text to find what is relevant to

them in making informed decisions

or responses.

Tools such as online evidence data-

bases have changed the way case

study information is presented to

relevant audiences, providing them

with a range of search criteria and

options with which to locate the

specific case study required. The

accessibility of such data according

to particular requirements makes

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGEThe concept of building ongoing dia-

logue with stakeholders is a particu-

larly important benefit of using online

engagement tools over traditional of-

fline consultation. The web allows or-

ganizations to move beyond gathe-

ring static snapshots of opinions and

perspectives at specific points in

time. Online stakeholder engage-

ment tools can be used to establish

dynamic relationships between va-

rious parties involved in the consulta-

tion process, allowing participants to

continuously build on previous com-

munications and discourse. It also

provides organizations with a develo-

ping viewpoint of stakeholder pers-

pectives over project life-spans, hel-

ping to shape decisions that are

made throughout.

The practice of making decisions

and doing business with stakehol-

der engagement at the centre is a

fundamental step forward. As the

political agenda pushes the issue of

sustainability and corporate respon-

sibility further to the top, working

sustainable practices into top-level

strategies will be the key to compe-

titive advantage.

The possibilities offered by the web in

communications leave no room for

static, ad hoc stakeholder consulta-

tion or flat, one-way dialogue from

businesses to stakeholders. The va-

rious tools available online in web-

based engagement toolkits such as

StakeholderTALK provide surveys,

portals, news and information chan-

nels. These offer businesses the op-

portunity to build creative, interactive

and, most importantly, meaningful

long term two-way dialogue with

their stakeholders

(see www.stakeholderTALK.com).

It is no longer a choice between cor-

porate responsibility and profit. Busi-

nesses that choose to recognize the

value that stakeholder input can have

in decision making, minimizing risk

and corporate reputation will find

themselves making significant head-

way in building for the future, not only

for themselves, but also for those im-

pacted by their activities.

Eco-Living

TOOLS SUCH AS ONLINE EVIDENCEDATABASES HAVECHANGED THE WAYCASE STUDY INFORMATION ISPRESENTED TO RELEVANT AUDIENCES

online the most powerful way to tar-

get individual stakeholders with in-

formation that is relevant to them.

Organizations can constantly up-

date stakeholders with develop-

ments and progress over project li-

fecycles, keeping them involved

throughout the process. This is key to

building ongoing two-way dialogue

with stakeholders.

This process of reporting to and up-

dating stakeholders is especially

crucial for those that have already

made strides in implementing sus-

tainability in their organizations, as

the importance of reporting their ef-

forts and progress to stakeholders

is often overlooked.

Skanska, one of the world’s leading

construction groups, has recogni-

zed the significance of keeping sta-

keholders informed about their pro-

gress in sustainability and thus have

utilized such online tools to report

back to relevant audiences.

Its Sustainability Case Studies site

(www.skanska-sustainability-case-

studies.com) is a good example of an

online evidence database, which al-

lows users to categorize case studies

by location and aspects of sustainabi-

lity. This case study search allows

stakeholders to locate exactly what is

of interest to them, providing a more

useful alternative to traditional online

case studies that usually function as

PDF files.

112

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

VALNERINAPARCO NAZIONALE DEI MONTI SIBILLINI

114

THE GOAL IS TO COMMUNICATE THE BEAUTY AND MAGNIFICENCE OF A TERRITORYWITH MOMENTS OF REFLECTION AND IMMERSION INTO THE ENVIRONMENT

The fact that Valnerina and

Monti Sibillini are among the

candidate places to join

UNESCO sites is already a quality

warranty. This would be enough to

invite you to discover this corner of

paradise in the heart of Umbria right

in the central of Italy. If it were not for

that reason there are so many others

to get this place as a highlight of Italy

tourist destination. There are many

outdoor activities you can do throu-

ghout the year. They also learn many

things on the environment, and cul-

ture. Many activities are specifically

designed for teaching purposes.

In particular, the environmental

guides Angelo Grilli offers new and

interesting programs also designa-

ted at schools and youth clubs during

school trips and nature holiday in

summer or winter.

The goal is to communicate the

beauty and magnificence of a terri-

tory with moments of reflection and

immersion into the environment with

safe as exciting activities, leading

each participant as protagonist, sha-

ring with respect for nature lots of

experience, providing a tool that pro-

vides not only creative but also cogni-

tive function and socialization.

All activities (hiking, orienteering,

canoeing, rafting....) Can be played

on a daily basis, or developed in half

a day so he can practice more in a

day activity.

EDUCATIONAL EXCURSIONSThe Valnerina and Sibillini Mountains

with their breathtaking landscapes,

deep valleys, villages and plateaus

are ideal terrain for hiking, organized

together with local guides and set on

the principles of environmental edu-

cation. Analysis of tree diversity, col-

lecting samples, searching for items

for the recognition of the local fauna,

observation of the colors and detec-

tion of sounds of the forest:

These are some of the activities

combined with excursions that

allow a comprehensive study of the

environment.

In addition to the evening debriefing,

the half-day trips can be combined

with a specified resume activity re-

ferring to the treated themes.

Very interesting is the former rail-

road Spoleto-Norcia, a route bet-

ween nature and history, following

the old railway.

Excursion can be combined with the

projection of pictures on the railroad

as it was and the socio-economic

importance of the railway itself.

You can also explore the plans of

Castelluccio di Norcia, beautiful

landscape shaped by nature, reflec-

ting on sheep farming and transhu-

mance, or the Canatra Valley, near

the village of Castelluccio di Norcia,

matching the specific activity linked

to the knowledge of the mount Cos-

cerno and his district.

Marmore waterfall and the Piediluco

lake gave us an opportunity to study

the water cycle, and end the tour in

the valley with a fantastic snack in

Pontuglia with local products in a

special frame made by a working

water mill in 1500 with the invented

by Leonardo Da Vinci.

ORIENTEERINGThe ability to move in nature is an

instinct that could be acquired

through practice.

Since ancient times man has had to

THE VALNERINA ANDSIBILLINI MOUNTAINSWITH THEIR BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPES AREIDEAL TERRAIN FOR HIKING, ORGANIZEDTOGETHER WITH LOCALGUIDES AND SET ON THE PRINCIPLESOF ENVIRONMENTALEDUCATION

learn to navigate, for hunting and

cross territories, watching the flight

of birds the stars the sun and the di-

rection of prevailing winds.

Today this activity is called orientee-

ring, and Scandinavia (and later Italy

as well) has become a sport.

Consist in going through the terri-

tory crossing woods or open areas

equipped with map and compass, al-

timeter and in such case GPS taking

a course through obligate steps, fol-

lowing some reference points such

as an intersection of trails, clean

areas or a small hill.

The activity is conducted by expert

guides in areas properly designed

and carried out in order to achieve

maximum results in total safety

conditions.

CLIMBINGTo learn rudiments of this sport you

need a small rock wall.

Throughout Valnerina layers of li-

mestone are often suitable for this

activity. Walls are already equipped

with extremely safe anchorage cal-

led spit. Safely under the control of a

mountain guide, you will get in

contact with the rock and start to fell

comfortable with this natural ins-

tinct. The length of the climbs starts

from few meters , but still sufficient

to provide excitement and challenge.

ADVENTURE TRAILThe course is structured in a natural

environment. It is involved with a se-

ries of exercises that test skills and

abilities. The purpose is to reach

physical and mental skills due to

take improve speed and problem

solving and strengthen group rela-

tionships.

Learning that natural environment

has to be respected and protected

as a resource for humans.

CANYONINGThe whole area is crossed by many

narrow valleys, gorges and ravines

created by the numerous streams

that flow in the main rivers. Descend

these streams, with expert guides to

the use of technical equipment, will

Eco-Tourism

�

115

116

117

Eco-Tourism

allow participants to discover beauti-

ful and fascinating worlds remained

completely unseen and untouched.

Canyoning, under safety rules, offers

a unique opportunity of nature

contact to follow a single stream

from the source, increasing as well

specific physical skills.

Excursion could be made in the best

and most wild canyon with or without

water flowing.

RAFTING/CANOEINGAlong the main rivers can be done

soft and hard rafting Local guides

will take you on the most difficulty

spots in perfect safe conditions and

depending by the condition some wa-

terways are no dangerous and could

be done by themselves. Experiencing

exploring river routes, from a hidden

to the most point of view.

An exciting experience in the lush

river vegetation, play in the water,

following the sound of the river under

our boat, looking for trout or a frog

movement, or spying the birds diving

in the water, drinking water straight

from the source.

HIKING WITH MULESAlong the ancient communication

routes you can hike accompanied by

mules. The donkey is the perfect

companion especially for children,

very docile, loves to be cuddled and

caressed. He does not like running

and jumping, but walks normally wi-

thout acceleration. With the donkeys

can be made daily walks or real trek-

king. Is possible to ride donkeys or

use them to carry luggage.

Soon between the animal and its

rider establishes a direct link, a com-

munication unique. So it becomes an

instructive experience and adventure.

MOUNTAIN BIKEThe territory with specified itinerary

and properly equipped accommoda-

tions can support bikers during bike

hiking or trekking.

Here you will find suitable trails for

children as technical itinerary on

downhill and single track with pas-

sages on rocks or jumps.

�

Eco-Tourism

SNOWSHOES TREKKERSDuring the winter season, you can

enjoy special activities in the snow.

The use of snowshoes or cross-

country ski, allows us to move on the

snow without being too tired.

The activity is accessible to all and

requires no special technical skills or

special preparation.

But in any case you can enjoy the

beautiful and unspoiled mountain

scenery in the winter out of the ordi-

nary ski areas.

A wide range of courses offered by

the vast plateau of Castelluccio di

Norcia, in Parco Nazionale dei

Monti Sibillini, and Gavelli in the

Monte Coscerno, are ideal terrain

for schools.

Very interesting also the beech

woods of the Val di Canatra, still in

the Sibillini mountains and the Valley

of Campofoglio. During an excursion

on the snow will conduct an analysis

of the layers of fallen snow on the

ground checking the consistency dis-

played by the metamorphosis taking

the appropriate magnifiers snow

crystals look at the interaction of the

snow itself with the water cycle. We

will have the chance to see the foot-

prints of animals that live in the area.

The snowshoes and the technical

equipment for snow analysis ,will be

provided from our guides.

To complete the services provided by

OUTDOORGUIDE we can organize

training events in different disci-

plines, corporate training events

(team building, outdoor training), im-

plementation of road book and self

guides basis of special needs, orga-

nization of school and youth associa-

tions fully assisted trips with com-

plete logistics assistance.

Accommodation could be arranged

on specified request ranging from

fully equipped campsite to hotel or

mountain hut.

You can request for organized activities

throughout the country and abroad.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

www.outdoorguide.it

info@outdoorguide.it

MADAGASCAR PRESERVING THE MARINE POPULATION

WORLD ENVIRONMENT

MAGAZINE |

By Maria Alejandra FARIA

Princesse Bora Lodge is a superb hotel on the west coast of Ile Ste Marie,which is a narrow tropical island off the east coast of Madagascar.It is famed for its outstanding whale watching, coconut palm beaches,great snorkeling and water sports. Owned and run by Francois-XavierMayer - whose family has lived on the island since the 1790’s – and a dedicated multilingual team of professionals fluent in English, Spanish, French.

Eco-Tourism

�

Twenty lovely, self-contained

villas built of natural mate-

rials are set amidst a grove of

coconut palms, beside the long white

beach at the edge of the lagoon. All

the Comfort and Luxury villas have a

suspended double bed, a living area,

private facilities with a separate toilet

and a private and a panoramic sea-fa-

cing veranda. Comfort villas can ac-

commodate two people; they are

equipped with a fan and there is a

hammock on the veranda. The six 55

meter-squared octagonal luxury villas

offer double basins, air-conditioning

and a mezzanine room with twin beds.

The five new executive beach villas are

95 meter squared and glass-fronted,

to take full advantage of the tropical

sunsets and the Indian Ocean pano-

rama. The wide terrace provides ano-

ther super vantage point. Beach villas

are air-conditioned and can accom-

modate up to three people in one dou-

ble and one single bed. Facilities in-

clude a bathtub.

The restaurant at Princesse Bora

Lodge is known to be the best on the

island. Fresh seafood and fish is pro-

minent on the menu. French, Creole

and Malagasy influences are reflec-

ted in the cuisine. A wonderful wine

cellar offers a large choice of French,

South-African and local vintages.

The lodge also has a pizza oven for an

alternative to lunch. The bar, with its

oak barrels of flavored rums, is an

ideal spot from which to watch the

sun set over the Indian Ocean.

The lodge has a decked infinity pool

and a wooden pontoon on the lagoon.

Its water sports center provides

snorkeling equipment, pirogues,

canoes and catamarans. It also

has boats for water-skiing and

paragliding. Ile Ste Marie is a

new and excellent surfing destina-

tion. Mountain bikes for exploring the

island are available free of charge,

and for a little fee one can hire a mo-

torbike, quads or a 4WD vehicle with

driver. The nearby PADI dive center

offers courses and a full dive

program, including wreck

and night dives.

Fishermen are ready

to provide boats,

equipment and fishing guides for

some really fine fishing trips inclu-

ding: tuna, bonito, grey mullet, cap-

tains, sea-bream, and king macke-

rel. There is also a wonderful spa

with a full range of treatments for

body and soul.

Princesse Bora Lodge offers a full

program of island excur-

sions including visits to

the only known pirates’

cemetery, �

the oldest church in Madagascar, the

market in Ambodifotatra, the man-

groves or the forest of Ampanihy. The

cross-island walk is a natural trek

through pristine forests and empty

beaches - the hotel provides pick up.

Using a pirogue boat, one can go to Ile

aux Nattes, with its brilliant, soft,

white sand; or a guided walk, to dis-

cover the orchids, clove and cashew

trees and growing cinnamon bark.

Princesse Bora Lodge was built

using local labor. Upon completion,

everyone who had worked on the

construction was offered the oppor-

tunity for full training to qualify for

employment at the lodge.

The channel between Ile Ste Marie and

the Malagasy mainland is a whale-

watching hotspot. Large groups of

humpback whales (Megaptera no-

vaengliae) make their annual migra-

tion from the Antarctic to the sheltered

waters around Ile Ste Marie where they

calve, nurse their young and engage in

their spectacular courtship rituals bet-

ween the end of June and September

of each year.

A unique experience to compli-

ment the wealth of wildlife

that Madagascar offers,

guests at Princesse Bora

�

Lodge can take part in the scientific

monitoring of humpback whales bet-

ween July and September, especially

the mating and giving birth processes.

The Princesse Bora is affiliated to CE-

TAMADA, a Malagasy NGO dedicated

to marine mammals conservation,

through observation and sampling of

the mayor groups with a permanent

base at the lodge during the season.

No one has failed to be impressed by

Mr. Mayer's commitment to conserva-

tion or by the quality of the whale-wat-

ching program. A specialist eco-guide

briefs whale-watchers before and du-

ring the boat trips, which follows the

code of good conduct for approaching

these spectacular creatures. Once si-

lently anchored within 100 meters of a

group of whales, visitors sit back and

watch – or participate in the collection

of data, which is followed by a debrie-

fing conference at the end of the day.

The new package for 2011 is directed

mainly for people who are interested in

knowing what a marine biologist does,

how they conduct their research for

conservation or simply for people who

have always wanted to study marine

biology. The seven-day package is a

promised seven days in paradise. This

includes housing at one of the most re-

nowned eco-lodge, eating the freshest

seafood and best cuisine, having a re-

laxing spa facility at a two minute dis-

tance away, and a full day activity that

comprises a shared experiences of

being a marine biologist leaving a blue

footprint in this planet. Each individuals

participation in this experience be it for

pleasure of scientific curiosity, will raise

invaluable data that will set up the fu-

ture of these majestic mammals. It is

the ultimate holiday destination with a

mission to saving the oceans life!

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE NGOCETAMADAFounded in 2009, Cétamada is a Ma-

lagasy non-profit organization (NGO)

with a mission to preserve the marine

mammal populations through seve-

ral initiatives, ranging from whale

watching, scientific research, com-

munity empowerment and co-mana-

gement. Cétamada is one of the few

NGOs with a shared database and

also a leader organization for the

whale watching operations in Mada-

gascar and the Indian Ocean. The

NGO is actively involved in scientific re-

search projects including: characteri-

zation of sound subunits for hump-

back whales song analysis, census of

marine mammals and other pelagic

mega-fauna by aerial survey in the

French economic exclusive zone

(ZEE), environmental education im-

pact on whale-watching tourism, em-

powerment of local communities

through artisanal workshops, docu-

mentaries and printed material to

sensitize the general public. The Céta-

mada members are internationally re-

cognized researchers involved in the

International Whaling Commission,

Indian Ocean Commission (COI) and

marine research centers in France, as

well as in other parts of Europe. We

believe research activities and the em-

powerment of local communities are

the building blocks to conserve ma-

rine mammal diversity.

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE AREALOCATION OF THE PROGRAMThe program is based in Sainte Marie

Island, Madagascar.

Ile Sainte-Marie, known as Nosy

Boraha, is an island off the east coast �

of Madagascar. The main town is Am-

bodifotatra, the island covers an area

of 222 square kilometers, with a po-

pulation estimated at 16,325 in 2001.

Between the west of Ste Marie Island

and the east coast of Madagascar we

can find the Channel of Ste Marie,

with a maximum depth of 60 meters.

The coastal waters of Ste Marie are a

well-known calving and breeding

grounds for humpback whales bet-

ween July and October each year in

their migration from Antarctica, at-

tracting lots of tourists and resear-

chers to the area. The following map

shows the areas where Cétamada is

already developing scientific and so-

cial activities: Ile Ste Marie, Salary Be,

Maronantsetra, Ifaty, Nosy Be, Fort

Dauphin, Antananarivo.

The activity of whale-watching cruise

is defined as any commercial initia-

tive that allows for the public to ob-

serve whales and other cetaceans in

their natural habitat. This activity ge-

nerates substantial financial benefits

for both private enterprises as well as

for communities and even local go-

vernment. A study assessed the eco-

nomic impact of whale-watching

made in the maritime zones of the

Bay of Antongil, Sainte Marie, Nosy

Be, and Cape Ste. Marie Anakao sho-

wing that this activity generated

1,825,628 US dollars during the 2008

season (Economist at Large 2009).

The study showed that Ste. Marie at-

tracted more tourists to observe

whales than the other sites. Sainte

Marie is the third major tourist desti-

nation after Nosy Be and Toliara in

Madagascar (Ministry of Tourism,

2000). Several recreational activities

related to the marine environment

are suggested by trip operators, in-

cluding whale-watching during the

most important season of migration

of humpback whales. The commer-

cial whale-watching activity began in

late 1980 in Ste. Marie and

has since developed and

improved their quality

of service in the island (Rasoamam-

pianina, 2004). Whale-watching boats

are used as platforms to collect

scientific data and to promote aware-

ness. The data taken from the obser-

vation boats are widely used in scien-

tific research to study the diversity of

marine mammal abundance, spe-

cies distribution (Ingram et al, 2007,

Rowat 2009). Cétamada uses at least

14 whale-watching boats in a season

as tools for gathering boat-based

scientific data. Also the whale-wat-

ching activity is a platform for envi-

ronmental awareness programs

among visitors and locals (Corkeron,

2006; Atkins and Swartz, 1988). The

public can learn about marine

mammals in their natural environ-

ment. In short, ecotourism (whale-

watching) is an essential means to

ensure the conservation of hump-

back whales in their breeding and

feeding environment.

We have conducted a

follow-up of the popu-

�

MAIN GOALS ACHIEVED BY CETAMADA’S TEAM

1.Total humpback whales observed: >1500.2.Total of tourist for the season: >1600.3.Total of trips: >210.4.Total of hours for the trips: >630.5.Total Photo IDs: >170.6.Average of the whale-watching contact efficiency of the trips: 35%.7.More than 120 DVDs recorded for sensitizing the tourists.8.More than 120 new memberships.9.Total eco-juniors (between 13 and 17 years old) in the “whale sum-

mer camp”: 1010. A total of 37 volunteers for the season.11.Seven (7) hours of songs recorded for further acoustics analysis by

specialists.12.Assistance and presentation in nine weekly meetings of Cétamada

members in Ste Marie.13.Tax carbon for the season calculated at 295,379.81 Kg of CO2 (equal

to 4.431 Euros) for 295 trees to be planted.14.Poll for environmental education impact among tourist taking the

whale watching tours 15.More than 95 hours of presentations/talks to tourists, and more than 30

hours of interventions at local schools and communities.16.Media press presentation Antananarivo 15th of June, Festival of the

Whale in Ambodifototra June 20th, Oceans media press in Antanana-rivo from the 16th to the 18th of September.

17.Two ghost fishing net pull out of the sea (1 was approx. 8mx3m and theother 2mx2m), rescuing one sea turtle: Eretchmotchelis imbricata, dataand details were sent to Kélonia (Turtles Conservation Center at LaReunion, France).

18.First observation registered of a humpback whale birth on August 30th2010 and follow-up for the re-sight; release to scientific press and gene-ral media (Latin America, Europe, Indian Ocean).

19.Daily news and maintenance of the Cétamada web page, including theupdate of the Photo ID database (free access).

20.Preparation of a presentation for Cétamada volunteers and operators inEnglish, and groundwork of a second presentation of humpback whales(a deep look into biology and physiology).

21.Two (2) drafts for scientific articles based on the observations done onthe humpback whale’s birth August 30th,, 2010.

22.Draft analysis of the 2009 and 2010 data from all Cétamada operators(17) around Madagascar (on going).

23.Leading and support to the dolphin watching team in Ste Marie Islandfrom October 7th to the 15th, 2010 (Mauritius – France - Madagascar).

24.Draft abstracts to many International Congresses.

lation of humpback whales and other

cetacean species during the migra-

tion seasons of humpback whales.

This period is defined in Article 10 of

the ministerial decree No. 2083/2000

of 8 March 2000 is between late June

and late October.

Different observation techniques

used have allowed the identification

of a total of ten species in the sites

of intervention Cétamada during the

two seasons for whale watching.

These species include two species

of baleen whales or baleen hump-

back whale (Megaptera novaean-

gliae) and right whales (Eubalaena

australis), eight species of odonto-

cetes or toothed whales: the bottle-

nose dolphin (Tursiops sp), Stenella

(Stenella sp), Pseudorque (Pseu-

dorca crassidens), Mesoplodon

(Mesoplodon sp) Mesoplodon Long-

man (Indopacetus pacificus), dol-

phin of Electra (Peponocephala elec-

tra) Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius

cavirostris), species of Delphinidae, �

finned pilot whales (Globicephala

macrorhyncus). The results of aerial

surveys have revealed the possibility

of observation of dugong (Dugong

dugon) and other species of dolphins

that we could not identify.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCALIZATION OF THE PROJECTS RELIES IN TWO MAJOR ASPECTS:

1 We are within the Indian Ocean

Sanctuary (1979), and re-evaluated

and expanded at the 46th Annual

Meeting of the International Whaling

Commission (IWC) in 1994. Even

though this is a special management

and conservation area, no humpback

whale census has been released

since the establishment of the Sanc-

tuary; in other words, no population

estimate is available to date. At that

time the population of the breeding

area C3, corresponding to Madagas-

car was 2,532 and then an estimate

between 4 936 – 8 169 individuals was

done by Wild Conservation Society

(WCS) based on a study between 2000

and 2006 in Antongil Bay with analy-

sis of Photo ID and multi-locus mi-

crosatellite genotypes. The same

study states, among potential biases

(sampling area, models used, etc) the

geographic or population estimation

for humpback whales. Our main goal

is to reinforce the research in this

subject estimating the number of

humpback whales at Ste Marie’s co-

astal waters and to design a survey

method suitable for the environ-

mental and socio-economic context

in Madagascar, that can be replica-

ted in other coast of the country and

that will allow to study trends in time

and space.

2 The general socio-economic

context where the project is establi-

shed, Madagascar, is characterized

by a depressed quality of life (as any

undeveloped country). Nevertheless,

on the island of Ste. Marie, after more

than ten years of working towards

bringing together development and

conservation of marine life, specially

humpback whales, we can see the

difference among other coastal com-

munities. On the Island of Ste Marie,

the leaders of Cétamada have been

working for more than ten years to-

wards involving the local community

in the conservation projects, and now

is the population of Ste Marie that

looks forward on being involved in

whales conservation in order to keep

their status and quality of life. This led

to a tangible improvement in the de-

velopment of the community compa-

red to other coastal regions of Mada-

gascar. The migration of this species

during the winter months brings

more than 3000 tourists per year in

this area (ca. 80% of annual tourism),

being the third place that attracts

more tourists in Madagascar.

By supporting the expansion and

continuity of our social and scientific

programs we assure that a sustaina-

ble life style will keep rising from and

for the communities associated to

the coastal waters of Madagascar.

Thus setting the example and prece-

dent for other communities in the In-

dian Ocean Sanctuary, and in other

parts of the world where whales, and

the environment in general, can be

used to improve human quality of life

while preserving and actually impro-

ving the state of such natural compo-

nents. This project is an active exam-

ple to show that men and sea can

interact in equilibrium, and how the

science behind the scenes holds up

the system.

�

BY SUPPORTING THE EXPANSION ANDCONTINUITY OF OUR SOCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMSWE ASSURE THAT ASUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE WILL KEEP RISING FROM AND FOR THE COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED TO THECOASTAL WATERS OF MADAGASCAR

17 March 2011

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21-22 July 2011

3rd International Conference on

Climate Change: Impacts and

Responses

www.on-climate.com

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

22-26 May 2011

World Environmental and Water

Resources Congress

www.content.asce.org/conferences

Palm Springs, USA

31 May - 1 June 2011

2nd Annual Greening

Government Conference

www.greeninggovernment.ca

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

31 May - 3 June 2011

Project Lebanon

www.projectlebanon.com

Beirut, Lebanon

July

2-5 May 2011

Conference on Wind Energy

and Wildlife Impacts

www.cww2011.nina.no

Trondheim, Norway

8-10 May 2011

International Sustainable

Development Research Conference

www.isdrc17.ei.columbia.edu

New York, USA

11-13 May 2011

17th International Energy

and Environment Fair and Conference

www.icci.com.tr

Istanbul, Turkey

16-19 May 2011

6th Annual International Symposium

on Environment

www.atiner.gr/environment

Athens, Greece

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