"Disaster prevention and preparedness are considered an integral aspect of Lebanon's development policy. The recurrent crisis that Lebanon faces and the risks that continue to surround our country make that an absolute necessity", Dutch Ambassador to Lebanon Mr. Han-Maurits Schaapveld said during a field exercise simulating a flood scenario on the borders of Assi River in Hermel organized on Wednesday 10 May 2017 by the UNDP Disaster Risk Management Project at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Over the course of six months, the UNDP Lebanese Host Communities Support (LHSP) project has implemented through the “Peace Building in Lebanon” project in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), a training program to build the capacities of the Social Development Centers’ (SDC) managers, area coordinators, officials and staff members in implementing the Mechanisms for Social Stability (MSS) with the funds of UKDFID.

The Ministry of Defence and the Lebanese Armed Forces Command launched today the study entitled “Sustainable Energy Strategy of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)” in collaboration with the European Union-funded UNDP CEDRO Project. The launch event was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and in the presence of the Minister of Defence, Yacoub Sarraf, the Minister of Energy and Water Cesar Abi Khalil, the Minister of Environment Tarek Al Khatib represented by Dr Joseph el Asmar, the Commander in Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, General Joseph Aoun, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, Ambassador Christina Lassen, and the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag.

On April 10, 2017 a launching event was held for the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) and National Preventive Mechanism against Torture (NPM) at the Internal Security Force (ISF) directorate. The event was organized by the UNDP Community Security and Access to Justice Project, in partnership with the ISF directorate and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and under the funding of the Embassy of the Netherlands.

To learn more about Environmate please visit http://www.environmate-gcnl.org or view a short informational video about the competition at: https://youtu.be/QtEmPUSV9JQ

In the 15th issue of the newsletter, the UNDP “Peace Building in Lebanon” project sheds light on the work done with municipalities, schools, media outlets and NGOs in the fields of social stability and peace building. Read the newsletter in both English and Arabic versions.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) appointed Mrs. Rabha Raichouni Eidi as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNDP Live Lebanon initiative. Mrs. Eidi received an official welcome and designation letter from UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Philippe Lazzarini at his office in Beirut.

This committee was established with the support of UNDP as a result of the Mechanisms for Social Stability. The village conflict analysis identified several issues and challenges threatening stability in the region. Two of the crucial problems underlined were unemployment and negative perception of the village as a result of security incidents in the last decade. The committee, which includes representatives of the local authority and local actors, decided to work on a touristic plan which focuses on the natural and archeological beauty of Syr and its cultural diversity, with the aim of stimulating the local economy and changing the perception about the region.

G Foundation, the local municipality and the UNDP partnered to implement a drip irrigation system in Menjez that was funded primarily by The Coca-Cola Foundation. The system was a clear need for the village that couldn’t afford to waste water. Following the installation of a 60,000-sq.-meter irrigation network that distributes water using low-pressure and low-water volume, Menjez now saves approximately 400 million liters per year (around 390 million of those liters are saved by the drip irrigation system), around 90 percent of the total amount they previously used.