LEBANON – Lebanon recorded thousands of wildfires between 2023 and 2025, amid efforts to strengthen prevention and response mechanisms through a project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and supervised by the World Bank, aiming to improve wildfire risk management and enhance national preparedness.
According to official data issued by the Lebanese Ministry of Environment and the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), the number of recorded fires reached around 4,276 in 2023, before rising significantly in 2024 to 6,412 fires, amid the repercussions of the war and security conditions. In 2025, the number of fires decreased to 2,421.
The project targets three main areas selected based on criteria including fire risk levels, biodiversity importance, and the proximity of forest areas to populated communities: Akkar, Minieh-Dinnieh, and Aley-Chouf.
The project focuses on several key areas, including the development of early warning systems, strengthening wildfire governance and management, improving preparedness and providing necessary response equipment, in addition to enhancing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
Several national institutions are participating in the implementation and coordination of the project, including the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Lebanese Army, Civil Defense, Higher Relief Council, and the National Council for Scientific Research, alongside the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which is implementing some of the project’s activities.
The project comes amid growing environmental challenges facing Lebanon’s forests and the need to develop proactive mechanisms to reduce the environmental and economic losses caused by wildfires.
