Around 2 million hectares of forests have been restored across four Mediterranean nations since 2017. The project, which covers Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, is the largest of its kind in the region.
One of the secrets to the program’s success is focusing on the types of trees planted, according to Ann-Kathrin Neureuther, a member of the UNEP campaign that chose this as one of several successful flagship restoration initiatives. “They’ve recognized the tree species that were not right for the forest and diversified the species they’re planting,” she said.
After a large blaze, there’s temptation to plant trees that will grow fast, but that often results in a loss of biodiversity and in forests that are less resilient to future fires. Instead, diverse forests that combine local Mediterranean species like oaks or native pine trees can better withstand tinderbox conditions and, when mixed with olive trees or prune trees, they can support rural economies.
“More and more they’re recognizing it’s more about preventing fires than about extinguishing them,” Neureuther said.