The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is hosting the Sixth edition of the Mediterranean Forest Week (VIth MWF) at the Grand Hills Hotel, Broumana, on 1–5 April 2019. The weeklong event brings together policy and decision makers, forest administrators, researchers, practitioners, donors, civil society organizations, and social and environmental based non–governmental organizations to share and promote the use of forest–based solutions to assist Mediterranean countries in the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
Held every two years, the Mediterranean Forest Week is a key platform for regional forestry related cooperation and dialogue between all relevant stakeholders. In its sixth edition, the Mediterranean Forest Week will showcase the use of forest–based solutions to address climate change, and broader regional challenges such as sustainable development, energy transition, demographic change, best practices in mitigation and adaptation to climate change. It will consider various ways to create an enabling environment, broaden the use of these solutions, while emphasizing the importance of recognizing and protecting the social, environmental, economic and cultural value of the goods and services already provided by Mediterranean forests.
The agenda covers ten sessions for the Sixth MWF addressing the current forestry context in the region, the status of NDCs implementation among Mediterranean countries and forest–based system solutions that link relevant land–based sectors at the landscape level, as well as link non–wood forest products with economic participatory approaches. Moreover, participants from the region are expected to engage in discussing and recommending unified forestry monitoring and reporting systems, as well as highlighting current financing climate opportunities. A field trip is on the agenda to showcase the Cedar’s reserve in the context of climate change.
The weeklong event will conclude with the adoption of the ‘Lebanon Declaration’ that prompts Mediterranean countries with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement to take specific, recommended actions that 1) reinforce knowledge and experience sharing on Forest and Landscape Restoration approaches, 2) mobilize climate financing, and 3) synergize forest monitoring and reporting systems.
H.E the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Hassan Lakiss, will officially address the participants during the Opening Ceremony of the VIth Mediterranean Forest Week on Monday April 1st, 2019 at 10:30 at the Grand Hills Hotel, Broumana.
