http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership This presentation was made during the NENA Soil Partnership Conference that took place in Amman, Jordan 1-3 June 2015. This presentation was made by Talal Darwish, and it presents the National priorities for Sustainable Soil Management in Lebanon. ©FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. National priorities for
Sustainable Soil Management
in Lebanon
6/30/2015 1
Talal Darwish
Project Manager
CNRS, Center for Remote Sensing
Beirut, Lebanon

2. Location of Lebanon

3. Geology

4. Precipitation

5. Problems with cultivated lands
• Weakness of extension service (capacity
building) and poor implementation of
policies.
• Mismanagement of fertilizer and water input.
• Low competitiveness of most products
• Land abandonment and fragmentation of
agricultural land .
• Chaotic urban expansion .

6. • Land fragmentation: 75% of operators have
less than 1 ha of useful agricultural surface.
• Urban expansion: LUP not properly and
completely implemented.
• Old age and low literacy level interfere with
the sustainability of farming profession and
implementation of innovative techniques in
agriculture.
Pressure

7. Distribution of utilized agricultural land according
to exploitation size
Source: MoA, 2011

8. Land tenure issues in Lebanon
• 75% of land operators
have less than 1 ha of
useful agricultural
surface (UAS).
• They operate ~ 20%
of total UAS of the
country.
• 95% of operators
have less than 4 ha
and exploit only 51%
of the total UAS.
• Operators with more
than 10 ha represent
only 2% of the
workforce.
• They possess 30% of
the UAS.
• The rest is communal
or religious lands.

9. Constraints of land governance
• Operators over 65 in
age represent 23% of
the total number of
operators and operate
24% of the UAS.
• Young operators with
less <35 years
represent only a small
proportion: 13%.
operate approximately
12% of the UAS.
• Proportions become
excessively low for
operators with less
than 25 years
representing 2% of the
total number of
operators and 1% of
the total UAS.
• Permanent salaried
labor forms only 5% of
the total.

10. Education level of farm operators
• 16% of farmers are illiterate and
operate 16% of the useful agricultural
surface.
• Operators with a level of education not
exceeding the primary constitute 61%
of the total number of operators and
have 60% of the total useful agricultural
surface.

11. 6/30/2015 11
 Highly intensive agricultural system linked
with high fertilizer and water inputs
 Weak governmental controls and monitoring
system of farmers practices
 Gaps in farmers knowledge and relative high
analytical costs for soil and groundwater
analyses
 Over-use of fertilizers and over irrigation
Low Protection of Soil and Groundwater From
Nitrate Contamination Caused by Uncontrolled
Fertilizer Application

12. 6/30/2015
12
Tree plantation
Vegetable cultivation
Grain-potato rotation
Depth distribution of the shallow groundwater
table of the central Bekaá Valley

13. 6/30/2015 13
Nmin Nitrate-N levels of the study sites in
Autumn 2001 and Spring 2002
Nmin [kg N ha-1]
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
60-90 cm
30-60 cm
0-30 cm
Autumn Spring
2001 2002
Autumn Spring
2001 2002
Autumn Spring
2001 2002
Vegetable Peach-trees Grain-potato
Tolerable Nmin
level in Autumn
(750)
(150)
(350)

14. 6/30/2015 14
Calculated nitrate concentration in the leachate
(Fall 2001) and discharge to groundwater
(Spring 2002)
Nitrate concentration in leachate [mg l
-1
]
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Depth[cm]
0
100
200
300
400
500
Vegetable
Grain-potato
Peach-trees
Vegetable Peach-trees Grain-potato
NO3-N [kg ha-1
]
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Discharge
Tolerable Discharge

15. 6/30/2015 15
Protection effectiveness of the soil cover

16. 6/30/2015 16
Nitrate concentration in the shallow groundwater of the
central Bekaá Valley
Drinking water
(WHO, 1993)
Irrigation water
(FAO, 1985)
Contaminated water
(ISO5667-11, 1995)

17. Wild
FarmingIntensive agriculture
Intensive agriculture
Groundwater Contamination with Nitrates

18. 6/30/2015 18
 to improve fertilizer and water use efficiency
using good cropping practices.
To enable a sustainable use of the soil and
groundwater resources, it is recommended:
 to provide knowledge transfer on local level.
 Design and implement Guideline on N
management.
 to establish a suitable soil and groundwater
monitoring system

19. Soil Geographical
Database
At
1:1 Mln Scale
Darwish et al., 2000

20. Updated Soil
Map
Geze, 1956
At 1:200,000
Darwish et
al., 2002
6/30/2015 20

21. 21
The detailed soil
map of Lebanon
and Soil
geographical
database
Darwish et al.,
2006
Main Threats:
• Soil erosion
• Soil degradation
• Desertification Recent Soil mapping
Management of soil resources:

22. MONOGRAPH
SERIES
Talal Darwish
2006 CNRS – Remote Sensing Center, Lebanon 2006
Contribution by Sectors:
M. Khawlie (Geology), I. Jomaa & M. Abou Daher (Soil, Physiography), M. Awad (GIS), T. Masri
(Agriculture), A. Shaban (Hydrology), G. Faour (RS), R. Bou Kheir (Climate), C. Abdallah & T. Haddad
(Physiography)
Zahle
Jbail
Saida
Halba
Houle
Rayak
Aarsal Nebek
Hermel
Jezzine
Joussie
Hermon
Qartaba Baalbek
Beyrouth
Trablous
Naqoura
Rachaiya Zebedani
Hamidieh
Batroun
Marjayoun
Sour-
Nabatiye
Tell-
Kalakh
Sir-Ed-
Danniye
Bent Jbail
Aassal -El-
Ouard
‫اللبنانية‬ ‫التربة‬ ‫خريطة‬
‫بمقياس‬1:50000
Soil Map of Lebanon
Scale 1/50000
Carte des Sols du Liban
Echelle 1/50000

23. 23
1:200.000 scale

24. National Physical Master Plan of the Lebanese
Territory (SDATL) marked a turning point in the
action of the public administrations in Lebanon.
- Agricultural domain of
national interest
- Urban regions
- Mixed rural regions
- Natural sites of national
interest
Divided the Lebanese
territory in
4 categories:

25. Soil resources in Zahle Caza
1:50.000 scale
WRB, 2004
Soil resources in Nabatiye
1:50.000 scale
Caza WRB, 2004

26. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
AR AT CM FL LV LP GL RG Cliff Total
%
Km2
Area
Urban on soil
% of loss
Loss of arable lands
by urban sprawl in
Nabatiye
South Lebanon
Land
capability
Class I Class II Class
III
Class IV
Soil Type Cambisol,
Fluvisols,
Luvisols
Arenosols,
Regosols,
Gelysols
Leptosols
Area 29.02 9.46 - 173.83
Urban
expansion
8.07 1.54 - 27.34
% loss 27. 81 16. 28 - 15.72
Urban expansion in
Nabatiyeh Caza on
land capability
classes until
November 2010
(Km2)

27. Loss of arable lands
by urban sprawl in
Zahle, Bekaa
Lebanon
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
AR
CL
LP
G
L
VR
CM
FL
AT
LV
RG
Cliff
Total
Km2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
%
Soil area
Urban on soil
% loss
Land
capability
Class I Class II Class III Class IV
Soil Type
Cambisol,
Fluvisols,
Luvisols
Arenosols,
Regosols, Gelysols,
Vertisols
Calcisols Leptosols
Area 180.53 109.92 9.61 133.05
Urban
expansion
24.04 11.24 0.57 5.49
% loss 13.32 10.22 5.93 4.13
Urban
expansion in
Zahle Caza on
land capability
classes until
November 2010
(Km2)

28. Caza
Land lost Km2
Total
area
Olive Grape
&
fruit
trees
Field
crops
Wood
land
Grass
land
Unproductive
land
Zahlé - 1 10 0.5 0.4 0.1 12
Nabatiyeh 6 - 6.8 0.6 3.6 0.0 17
Components of land use change

29. Crop
At national level
(Km2)
Zahlé
(Km2)
Nabatiyeh
(Km2)
2000 2010 +
-
2000 2010 +
-
2000 2010 +
-
Cultivated and
irrigated field crops
1486 1670 +184 148 155 +7 66.6 70.7 +4.1
Permanent crops 1544 1307 -237 99 65 -34 56 38 -18
Intensive agriculture 56 42 -14 0.7 0.6 -0.1 0.8 0.26 -0.54
Total 3086 3019 -67 247.7 220.6 -27.1 123.4 108.96 -14.44
6/30/2015 29
Monitoring and Control of Landuse change using
Remote Sensing

30. 6/30/2015 30
Landsat1964 2000Aerial photo
Chaotic Urban Expansion on the Coastal
Area: Tripoli
Urban: 72% of prime lands converted into cement

31. Urban expansion on productive lands at
the national level
31
Land capability map of Lebanon
1:50.000

32. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Year
Areaburnt(ha)
Forest burnt area in hectares per year
Source: (MoE/LEDO, 2001; AFDC, 2007; MoE, 2007)
6/30/2015 32
Control of forest fires

33. INCAM Final Workshop. Izmir 16-17 May,

34. 6/30/2015
34
Soil erosion
map used
for the
Land use
planning
project
and
NAP

35. Detailed soil erosion mapping CoLD Project 2002
The need to apply to other watersheds and
update using LADA/WOCAT?

36. Prioritization of intervention and drafting of
management program considering the physical
and socio economic drivers of land degradation

37. Degradation of rangeland and
marginal land
• In 2010, the area was
reduced until 3666 km2
(CNRS, 2011).
• Rangeland development in
Lebanon is faced with two
main problems:
– water erosion and
– uncontrolled grazing.
6/30/2015 37
In 2000 the area of
rangeland in Lebanon was
4066 km2

38. 6/30/2015 38
Seasonal vegetation signal of Kfarselouane
and Arsal watersheds versus the practiced
grazing calendar: Overgrazing
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Jan-
02
Feb-
02
Mar-
02
Apr-
02
May-
02
Jun-
02
Jul-
02
Aug-
02
Sep-
02
Month
NDVI
Kfarselwen
Aarsal
Grazing feed calendar %
Controlled Grazing

39. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Bare rocks Forest Arable lands Grassland Urban areas
Area,ha
1989
2005
Comparative distribution of quarries on
different landcover/use in Lebanon
FAO definition of
forest is used

40. 0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Area,ha
Very Low Low Moderate High
Land capability
Spatial distribution of quarries on
land capability classes
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Quarriedarea,ha
Mineral
extraction
sites
Arable
lands
Forest Shrubland-
Grassland
Rocky land
Land cover/useImpact of uncontrolled quarries on land
cover in Lebanon since 1989.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Quarriedarea,ha
Very Low Low Medium High
Rock permeability class
Distribution of quarries in relation to rock
permeability associated risks in Lebanon
Quarries distribution in Lebanon
Quarries and open mining

41. Stability risk for residence areas near Beirut
Land use planning?

42. Impact assessment of current
quarrying activities on natural
ecosystem
Land suitability for
quarrying activity in
Lebanon
Land use planning?

43. 43
Improve the Desertification Assessment and
Monitoring System and activate the adaptation
and mitigation measures
Based on small scale soil information
1:200,000
Based on large scale soil information
1:50,000

45. Priorities for Lebanon in view of soil
degradation factors
Lebanon Faces the following soil problems:
1. Soil erosion
2. Soil-groundwater salinity and contamination
caused by mismanaged fertilization and irrigation
practices.
4. Land sealing by chaotic urban expansion on
Prime Lands.
6. Weak Implementation of Land Use Planning.
6/30/2015 45

46. Response/Conclusion
• To conserve soil and promote sustainable
agriculture we need to:
• Develop a mortgage on agricultural land allocated to
real estate registry to promote soil conservation.
• Finance projects linked to agriculture,
• Support merging and sorting of fragmented lands.
• Provide the necessary credits for the proper use of
land.
• Promote the application of conservation practices.
• Implement land use planning project (Legislation
and Regulations).
• Create farmer’s association, field schools and
promote literacy level among farmers to enable the
adaptation of advanced techniques.
• Disseminate good practices and raise awareness.

47. 6/30/2015 47

48. Thank You
Lebanon