Innovations for investment security in land reclamation and water reservoirs

As in all Mediterranean countries water and agriculture are inextricably connected in Lebanon. The Lebanese agricultural sector is the largest water user (60-70% of all renewable water resources), and thus faces challenges to increase its production and productivity (agricultural production per unit of inputs) with less water. The sector will need to satisfy increasing water demands from society whilst anticipating the impacts of the global climate change. In Lebanon agriculture is the major source of income and employment for rural communities, and the sector also provides job opportunities for Syrian refugees. Particularly in mountainous areas the agricultural production is at stake and many lands have been abandoned or are seriously degraded. In addition to sustain farmers and their families agricultural lands on mountain slopes are considered as cultural heritage and they also play an important role in land and water conservation, and erosion control. Investments to reclaim abandoned lands are being facilitated by the Green Plan since the nineteen sixties, and are presently supported by FAO and NGOs. In order to be successful smallholder farmers also need to innovate and increase their production levels and productivity. This project is aimed at introducing innovations in on-farm water management by smallholder farmers and farmers’ communities, and the development of tailored advisory services to increase agricultural productivity and to promote good agricultural practices.