The village of Btekhnay is nestled in an iconic pine forest that has long inspired awe of our natural heritage, from Alphonse de Lamartine in the 19th century to outdoor enthusiasts today. However, the forest is located in Lebanon’s greatest wildfire hotspot, with the latest forest fire occurring in October 2021. The entire community must live with the risk of wildfire-related damages hanging over its head, as the village is spread inside the forest, not just next to it.
eveloping a comprehensive forest management plan to reduce fire risk and improve immediate fire response capacity, using digital tools and satellite imagery to understand plant assemblages and forest flammability, removing highly-combustible undergrowth in windblown locations, creating a fire barrier by removing undergrowth for 20 meters on each side of forest roads, and finding pathways to unite public and private landowners in a sense of shared responsibility over forest fire management.