Third Climate Change Coordination Unit Meeting Summary Report
November 2014
Financed by the Lebanon
Recovery Fund, a Lebanese
Government led programme
established on the occasion
of the Stockholm Conference
Table of Contents
Overview ............................................................................................................................................................ 1
Objectives of the meeting ............................................................................................................................... 1
Workshop Proceedings and Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 1
Next Steps ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Annexes .............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Overview
The third and final meeting of 2014 for the Climate Change Coordination Unit (CCCU) focal
points was held on November 14, 2014 in Beirut by the Lebanese Ministry of Environment (MoE)
and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project is funded by the Lebanese
Recovery Fund (LRF).
This session first looked back at the CCCU achievements of 2014 which include project ideas and
capacity building for focal points.
The meeting then proceeded to introduce the CCCU to the institutional mapping exercise which
commenced this month and is administered by Dr. Nadim Farajalla. This exercise aims at plotting
all climate change related activities in Lebanon. As a kick-start to this project, most of the focal
points gave a brief presentation on their climate change mitigation or adaptation activities which
will feed into the mapping.
Finally the CCCU focal points voiced their opinions on the progress of the coordination unit and
recommended measures to improve its efficiency and enhance cooperative relationships.
Objectives of the Meeting
Present the main activities and achievements of the CCCU for the past year;
Introduce the “Institutional Mapping of Climate Change Activities” project to the focal
points, as they will be contacted later to participate in the exercise;
Inform the different CCCU members of each other’s past and future activities;
Stimulate the institutional mapping project by presenting the main climate change
mitigation and adaptation activities of the focal points;
Exchange recommendations and opinions about the work of the CCCU.
Workshop Proceedings and Conclusions
2014 CCCU Activities:
Mr. Vahakn Kabakian first presented updates on climate change activities of the Climate Change
Coordination Unit (CCCU) at the Ministry of Environment (MoE):
Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Renewable Energy sector;
Optimal Renewable Energy Mix of the Power Sector by 2020;
Rainwater harvesting from greenhouse rooftops – piloting;
Two Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (waste and transport sectors);
Inventories of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport, agriculture and waste sectors;
Survey launching in the commercial/institutional/industrial sectors;
Unified reporting requirements between Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Industry;
Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (to start in Q1 2015).
Based on previous CCCU meetings and recommendations, Mr. Vahakn Kabakian then proceeded
to present the trainings which were undertaken this year:
Climate Finance – with Frankfurt School of Finance & Management;
De-risking Renewable Energy Investments (Cost-Effective Analysis/Cost-Benefit Analysis);
Effective Communication Skills in English and Arabic;
Climate Negotiations Training – with Ecologic;
Seasonal Climate Modelling/EWS (LARI and LMS);
LEAP model training (Two senior advisors from Ministry of Energy and Water).
Institutional Mapping for Climate Change Activities:
This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Nadim Farjallah on the Inception of Institutional
Mapping for Climate Change Activities, a consultancy contracted by UNDP under the Climate
Change Projects in the Ministry of Environment. The main objectives of this stocktaking are the
enhancing of collaboration between institutions in order to avoid duplication of efforts, identify
the gaps in order to channel future funding to weak areas, and to have and informative climate
change projects’ database (see Annex 2 (2.1) for full presentation).
The CCCU platform was chosen to introduce this exercise because all the institutions represented
by the attendees will be part of the process later on. After Dr. Farajalla proceeded to present his
methodology, Dr. George Mitri of the University of Balamand pointed out that defining what is
considered a climate change activity is important, especially to scope down the mapping to direct
or indirect activities. He added that it is key to follow-up on this important exercise to ensure
sustainability of reporting activities. Dr. Mitri stressed on the need to ensure that all stakeholder
institutions are part of this exercise including the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MoIM),
municipalities and Balamand University.
Mrs. Rana El-Hajj from the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut and who is
also working on the mapping exercise then clarified the methodology of the mapping project and
the Rio-Markers metrics. She explained that projects/activities will be segregated first between
Adaptation and Mitigation activities, and then weighted on their relevance to climate change. She
replied to Mr. Jaoudat Abou Jaoude’s query on infrastructure projects by explaining that these
may not be counted as climate change-relevant.
Institutions’ Climate Change Activities:
The CCCU focal points then briefly presented their main climate change activities and future plans
(see Annex 2 (2.2) for comprehensive presentation).
CCCU Opinions and Recommendations:
CCCU Focal Point Institution Recommendations & Opinion
Hisham Malaeb Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MoPWT)
- There is a need to enforce against the forest fires in Lebanon.
Jean Stephan Lebanese University (LU)
- His nomination now should be through the Lebanese University and asked the CCCU to make sure that FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) re-nominates a focal point.
- The CCCU was a very good platform that enabled the start of collaborations with different colleagues. Mr. Stephan mentioned an example between him and Dr. Mitri on forestry and climate change areas.
Hassan Harajli CEDRO
- Dr. Harajli inquired about the CCCU continuity during 2015. Mr. Kabakian answered that it will at least continue for 2015 benefiting from the resources of other projects at the UNDP-MoE. Having additional funding from the LRF will be also explored.
Ali Shaar Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
- There can be a form of Working Paper acting as an Agenda for future CCCU meetings.
Jil Amine UNDP – Ministry of Energy and Water
(MoEW)
- There is an option to form a website portal at each institution to report on climate change activities and to coordinate between each other. Mrs. Abou Jaoude explained that this will exactly be done via the mapping exercise, but welcomed the portal idea for sustainability.
Jaoudat Abou Jaoudeh
Council for Development and Reconstruction
- The CCCU was beneficial in the way it refocused the focal points on climate change issues and as a result it is now being included as part of project terms of reference and part of the concerns of the CDR overall. However, he added that it is vital to have an outcome by the end of the day such as the Mapping project.
Nadim Farajalla Issam Fares Institute (IFI)
at the American University of Beirut (AUB)
- There is a need to have some form of continuity.
- Ms. Rana El Hajj from the IFI also suggested having policy recommendations summarized from the outcomes and discussions from the CCCU meetings as to hold some sort of tangible outcome for the coordination unit’s work.
Georges Mitri Balamand University - There should be a 2-day workshop or fair so
focal points can market their activities in a more visual way.
Next Steps
o Contact the Lebanese University to nominate Jean Stephan as their focal point and contact
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to nominate a new focal point;
o Explore funding channels for the CCCU sustainability through 2015;
o Explore the restructuring of CCCU meetings and outcomes through having working papers
and policy recommendations;
o Identify the possibility of having a website portal for CCCU institutions to post their
activities;
o Brainstorm on the CCCU institutions’ fair to showcase climate change related activities;
o Ensure the CCCU focal points participation the Institutional Mapping exercise.
Annexes
Annex 1. List of participants
Annex 2. Presentations
Annex 3. Photos from the meeting
Annex 1. List of participants
Name Institution Email
1 Reine Maalouf LCEC [email protected]
2 Yara Daou MoE-UNDP [email protected]
3 Mary Awad MoE-UNDP [email protected]
4 Vahakn Kabakian MoE-UNDP [email protected]
5 Roxane Moukarzel MoIM [email protected]
6 Jihan Seoud UNDP [email protected]
7 Hassan Harajli UNDP [email protected]
8 Jil Amine MoEW-UNDP [email protected]
9 George Mitri University of Balamand [email protected]
10 Ramzi Shasha MoI [email protected]
11 Leila El Sayed UNDP-MoF/MoE [email protected]
12 Rana El Hajj IFI-AUB [email protected]
13 Eliane Charbel LRI [email protected]
14 Bilal Joumi LRA [email protected]
15 Michelle Matta SETS [email protected]
16 Joaudat Abou
Jaoude CDR [email protected]
17 Nadim Farajallah AUB-IFI [email protected]
18 Ali Shaar DGCA [email protected]
19 Nabil Amacha LRA [email protected]
20 Fadi Doumit LRA [email protected]
21 Michel Kfoury MoH [email protected]
22 Rana Tabcharani ALI [email protected]
23 Jean Stephan FAO [email protected]
24 Hisham Malaeb MoPWT [email protected]
25 Lea Kai Aboujaoude MoE-UNDP [email protected]
Annex 2: Presentations
2.1. Institutional Mapping of National Climate Change Related Activities
Institutional Mapping of National Climate Change Related Activities
Lebanon’s First Biennial Update Report
Institutional Mapping of National Climate Change Related Activities
• Why institutional mapping:
– Provides a resource that informs the climate change mainstreaming process
– Informative for all stakeholders (mainstreaming team, general public, researchers, etc.)
– Offers a baseline (in time and content) of the different stakeholders and the activities they are engaged in
Institutional Mapping of National Climate Change Related Activities
• Why institutional mapping (cont’d):
– Presents an insight on the levels of collaboration and coordination between the various stakeholders regarding climate change related activities,
– Aids in creating/enhancing the link between the different institutions to limit or even eradicate duplication in activities
– Provides an initial assessment of the importance of the climate change activities for the various parties
– Identifies gaps and helps in channelling money to areas that are weak
Lebanon’s Climate Change Issues
Proposed Methodology
• Desktop review
• Development of a questionnaire
• Identification of stakeholders
• Interviewing of stakeholders
• Analysis of collected information
• Presentation of findings
• Conclusions and recommendations
Proposed Methodology
• First task would be to define what will be considered as a climate change activity; what elements, components and forms it should entail.
• Based on this definition, all other tasks will be conducted
Methodology – Desktop review
• Journals
• Published reports
• Ministries’ websites
• Universities’ websites
• NGOs’ websites
• IGOs’ websites
• Newspapers
• Web-based news sources
Methodology - QuestionnaireThe questionnaire will be both direct and indirect to avoid leading interviewees:• Direct questions:
– Climate change activities endorsed, implemented and/or funded – Sources of funding– Why activities are undertaken or funded
• Indirect questions:– Environment-related activities endorsed, implemented and/or
funded and their source(s) of funding• Funding (or developing/constructing) green buildings• Promoting recycling in the office• Participating in environmental awareness campaigns
– Type of research conducted
Methodology – Identify stakeholders
Relevant stakeholders from different sectors will be identified through the snowball technique and informant contacts, then interviewed according to the questionnaire. These sectors are:
• Government – local, regional and national• Private sector• NGOs• IGOs• Research Institutes• Academic (universities – professors and students)
Methodology – Stakeholders: Governmental Bodies
• Ministry of Energy and Water
• Ministry of Environment
• Ministry of Public Works and Transportation
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Tourism
• Ministry of Agriculture
• CDR…
Methodology – Stakeholders: NGOs
• IndyACT
• Greenline
• AFDC
• SPNL
• ALMEE
• Arc En Ciel
• NCST
• Jouzour Loubnan…
Methodology – Stakeholders: IGOs
• World Bank
• GEF
• GIZ
• USAID
• FAO
• EU
• GTZ…
Methodology – Stakeholders: Research Institutes
• CNRS
• LARI
• IRI…
Methodology – Stakeholders: Academic
• AUB
• USJ
• LAU
• Lebanese University
• NDU
• USEK
• Haigazian
• Etc.
Methodology - Analysis• Collected information from interviews and desktop
review will be analyzed for:– coordination and collaboration mechanisms between
institutions
– role institution/organization is actually playing as opposed to what it should be doing per mandate or what the potential is
– research evaluated for• Scope, strengths, limitations and applicability/translation into
policy recommendations• Policy relevance
Methodology - Analysis• Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development ’s (OECD) scoring system - the Rio Markers will be used.
• Originally intended to track climate related aid support
• To determine the importance, impact and funding for each specific activity, according to whether it is:– principal (score of 2), – significant (score of 1) – not targeted (score of 0).
Defining an activity
Classification according to definition
Classification according to funding
Example of scoring Donor Recipient Project Title Amount Sector Score
USAID NGO Managing solid waste in a village
100,000 USD
Solid Waste 2
EU CDR Developing a Highway Section in Lebanon
2 M USD Infrastructure 0
GIZ AUB Study ofwater use
8,000 USD Water Management
1
Sample of Possible Graphical Output
0 10 20
Biodiversity
Wastemanagement
Watermanagement Mitigation
Adaptation
Climate changeactivities
0 10 20
Biodiversity
Waste
Forest management
Water
WB
GIZ
GEF
Source of FundingActivity type
Sample of Possible Graphical Output
Example of academic courses related to climate change
Institution Department Course Credits Relation to CC
USJ Physics Environmental management
4 Direct
AUB Agriculture Irrigation 4 Indirect
LU Biology Environmental law
3 Indirect
Example of academic research related to climate change
Institution
Research title Relation to CC
USJ Measurement of gas emissions in Beirut
Direct
LU Waste Treatment: Treatment of Infectious Waste
Indirect
AUB Impact of climate change on water resources
Direct
Output: Map of climate change activities in Lebanon (example)
Conclusion and recommendations
• Conclusions through the analysis of the Rio Markers
• Criteria checklist developed
• Recommendations on ways to ensure that future climate change projects are tracked on a national level.
Thank you
2.2. Reporting of Activities from CCCU Focal Points
Activities:
Create wetland (the first in the region);
Encourage to convert to drip irrigation system (financial incentives) - farmers and
students awareness campaign.
Measure all main water resources on Lebanese territories and the ground water in
upper Litany basin (first time in Lebanon by using special monitoring wells).
Future Plans:
More Wetland creation
Planning to measure all water resources on Lebanese territories
Planning to make new dams on Litany river (such as Choumarieh dam in Phase APD
& Khardale dam in Phases APS/APD)
Kherbit Kanafar Wetland near by Jeb Janine bridge
30000 m2 with a capacity of 5000 m3/ day
(the pumps in the inlet structure are working by using solar energy)
January 2002
Activities:
Measurements for all weather parameters
Relevant data collection
Future Plans:
New studies & research
Environmental policy draft aviation
SAP (DRAFT) for DGCA
Activities:
Resource assessments for Renewable Energy Resources for Lebanon;
Demonstration projects to kick-start and incentivize the market for RE
implementation;
Assisting in alleviating barriers to RE systems, e.g. net metering initiation.
Future Plans:
Continue and up-size demonstration projects for RE;
Demonstrate new lines of processes and technologies (e.g. biomass briquettes);
Continue capacity buildings and awareness on RE options.
Activities:
Replacement of 3 million incandescent lamps with 3 million CFLs;
National survey study and evaluation of the SWHs market in Lebanon (2014)
Technical support to the BDL in the NEEREA
3000 sensors and timers for street lighting
Adoption of Net Metering Mechanism (EDL/LCEC)
Awareness Campaigns (Brochures, seminars, Beirut Energy Forum)
Installation of 3000 poles PV street lighting in different areas in the country
Future Plans:
Continue encouraging the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable
energy projects under NEEREA Promotion of energy efficient equipment
Green Building Code for Lebanon
Adopt a mandatory SWH installation in the residential sector
Continue to support the implementation of PV (BRSS, Zahrani Oil Power Plant) and
Wind Farms (60-100 MW)
NEEAP update, evaluation and monitoring
Complete the development and integration into the curricula of educational
institutes of material programs related to Renewable Energy power generation
Activities:
Cleaner Production Options for the Chemical Sector in Lebanon;
Green Production Help Desk in Lebanon (project by ESCWA established at ALI
premises);
Contributed to the cooperation between AUB and a Lebanese paint industry
(recycling Xylene solvent).
Future Plans:
Assist and support industries to shift their brown production into becoming green by
sustaining the department’s presence and activities;
Conduct workshops for various stakeholders on Green Industry;
Collect and disseminate information on various topics related to Green Economy,
as well as best practices in Green Production;
Create a platform to develop & implement new projects and initiatives in Green
Industry
Activities:
Promote efficient irrigation (Marjayoun area);
Reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture (Iaat; closing);
Introduce Quinoa as an alternative high-value crop in marginal lands with harsh
climatic conditions;
Support MOA in the establishment of DRM unit.
Future Plans:
Monitor fruit flies in orchards at national level;
Monitor stone pine cone drop and stone pine forest management;
Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture to monitor, coordinate and
network reforestation activities at national level;
Reduce forest fire risk and impacts in Brutia pine stands in Lebanon.
Activities:
Environmental Fund funded by GIZ;
ADELNORD funded by the EU;
SDATEL/MCMSB (Mainstreaming Conservation of Migratory Soaring Birds) funded by
the UNDP.
Future Plans:
Continue to participate in many steering committees that implement projects
funded by GEF, UNDP and other donors ;
Attend workshops related to Climate Change in order to integrate new guidelines
and recommendations into projects.
Activities:
The MoF finances an Interest Subsidy Program (loans in agriculture, tourism and
industry that may include climate-relevant elements);
MoF acts as a governor to all World Bank Loan negotiations (e.g. LEPAP);
UNDP/MoF worked on a number of studies incorporating economic and fiscal
assessments of mitigating Greenhouse Gases in the Energy sector (Optimal
Renewable Energy Mix, Mobility Cost: Case Study for Lebanon).
Future Plans:
Follow on the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) Project;
Assess the fiscal impacts of financial incentives/disincentives for a Greener Fleet in
Lebanon (ongoing);
Study on Energy Subsidies in Lebanon: Fiscal, Equity, Economic and Environmental
Impacts (ongoing);
Calculate the spending on Environmental Protection by category (initiative from the
Cash department).
Activities:
Establishing Climate Inventories (for the most available time series);
Including Climate Change as a major component in several research projects;
Publishing research on Climate Change impact, with a special emphasis on water
resources.
Future Plans:
Climate change has been ranked as a priority theme for the researches and
projects to be funded by CNRS;
Request periodical meteorological data from satellite imageries;
Installing new meteorological stations.
Activities:
Adaptation climate change: several research trials on different crops in relation to
deficit irrigation
Early Warning System for irrigation and other agriculture practices for famers
resilience to climate change;
Conservation Agriculture practices.
Future Plans:
Continuing on research activities on agriculture resilience to climate change, such
as:
1. Deficit irrigation trial;
2. Early warning system;
3. Precision agriculture;
4. Conservation agriculture;
5. Introducing new variety of crops resistant to pest/diseases and to water
deficit.
Activities:
Monitoring drought conditions in Lebanon using climate-based indices
Investigating temporal and spatial variability of wildfire potential
Correlating the main pollination season (MPS) of top 10 allergenic pollen in North
Lebanon
Future Plans:
Assessing GHG emissions/removals from local reforestation/afforestation projects
Advancing research on pollen concentration and climate relationship in Lebanon
Advancing research on forest monitoring and wildfire risk assessment with the use
of geospatial data of current and future climatic conditions
Evaluating GHG emissions/removals resulting from the production and usage
of biomass briquettes (produced from pruning residues) for heating purposes
Activities:
Study on the impact of climate change and population growth on water resources
and food security;
Workshop on sustainable transport systems.
Study on the effects of drought in Lebanon (industry, tourism, and households) is
being conducted.
Activities:
Run demonstrations on the diesel consumption to assess demand on Electricité du
Liban;
Coordination with the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation to enhance the
NEEREA (National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action) process;
Coordination with the Low-Emission Capacity Building team regarding the feed-in
tariff policy assessment in addition to water pumping in the agriculture sector.
Annex 3. Photos from the meeting