Climate-Smart Livelihoods Initiatives and Market Access Tailoring (CLIMAT)
Within WFP Lebanon Country Strategic Plan 2018-2020, and under WFP Program “Enhancing the livelihoods of Syrian Refugees and vulnerable Lebanese host communities through Food for Training (FFT)”, the “Climate-Smart Livelihoods Initiatives and Market Access Tailoring (CLIMAT)” is a one-year FFT project implemented in Northeast Baalbeck and West Bekaa. CLIMAT aims to sustainably improve the skills, capacities and livelihood opportunities of vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugees in the targeted region.
This project is funded by the German Cooperation through WFP, and planned and managed by the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the American University of Beirut in partnership with Cooperation without Borders (CWB).
Aim Of The Project
CLIMAT targets 700 direct participants residing in Northeast Baalbek and West Bekaa. As main strategies for intervention, ESDU and CWB are building capacities of women, youth and farmers (individuals and cooperatives) on sustainable agricultural practices and climate smart food processing. They are also offering material support and creating market linkages.
Three value chains are tackled including
- Small ruminant production (wool and carpet production, dairy processing and herd/pasture management)
- Alternative and climate-smart agricultural crop production
- Agro-food processing. ESDU and CWB will ensure sustainability of planned activities fostering socio-economic conditions of 3500 indirect beneficiaries as well as scaling-up of best practices to more communities within rural settings.
Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation 2020
The Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the American University of Beirut
was awarded the “Pioneering Development and Productive Project 2020" following successful implementation of its Climate- mart Livelihoods Initiatives and Market Access Tailoring (CLIMAT). The one-year project was implemented in partnership with Cooperation Without Borders (CWB) and was funded by the German Cooperation under the World Food Program's (WFP) for “Enhancing the Livelihoods of Syrian Refugees and Vulnerable Lebanese Host Communities Through Food for Training.
Along with other distinguished individuals and institutions leading the way in agricultural innovation, the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the American University of Beirut was recognized during the 13th “Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation" Virtual Award Ceremony for 2021 (March 16th).
Watch the virtual award ceremony on the following
link.