Forest & Ecosystem Management Expert

UNOPS

The project will pilot activities in three (3) wildfire hotspots: Akkar, Minieh-Donniyeh, Aley-Shouf incl. areas from Metn-Baabda. The selection of these hotspots was made based on ranking of all 14 fire hotspots against a set of agreed criteria, including risk for forest fire events and land degradation; number of communities within the hotspot, history of forest fires; biodiversity and the level of security.

The selection of participating municipalities in the 3 hotspots will be completed during the first month of implementation by applying additional criteria such as connectivity between participating municipalities; ability to cluster several project activities; ability to enhance the involvement of women and vulnerable groups in forest-relevant activities; land tenure situation; and readiness of municipalities to engage.

The project supports the efforts of the Government of Lebanon to manage (i) forest fire risks and actual occurrences in a more timely and effective manner; and (i) integrating forest fire risk considerations into the sustainable management of forest landscapes. This will be achieved by supporting policy changes, cross-sectoral collaboration at national and sub-national levels, gender-responsive capacity enhancement and knowledge sharing using and improving existing networks, including first responder networks, community-driven action groups, and social networks to fire risk early warning; and investments for forest landscape restoration (including tree planting, removal of invasive species, fire risk mitigation measures) as well as gender responsive evaluation and adaptive learning.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager and in coordination with the MoE project team and relevant stakeholders, the Forestry & Ecosystem Management Expert will be responsible for the following functional responsibilities:

Task 1: Forest Management Planning and Review

• Using the guidelines developed by the MoA, develop and review Forest Management Plans (FMPs) for targeted areas, ensuring integration of biodiversity, silvicultural practices, and fire management strategies.
• Validate and update plans based on field data, assessments, and evolving project needs.

Task 2: Biodiversity Integration

• Ensure biodiversity assessment findings are incorporated into FMPs and silvicultural treatments.
• Support the formulation of forest restoration and conservation strategies aligned with ecological sustainability.

Task 3: Silvicultural Treatment Planning

• Develop and review silvicultural prescriptions, particularly for high fire-risk or degraded forest areas affected by fires.
• Ensure alignment of treatments with biodiversity conservation principles and sustainable resource use. This includes the use of local fire-resistant species and the development of mixed forest stands.

Task 4: Fire Management

• Integrate wildfire risk reduction measures into FMPs, including technical recommendations for fire prevention, preparedness, and post-fire recovery. This includes considerations for fire breaks, pruning, controlled burning.

Task 5: Technical Oversight and Validation

• Provide technical oversight for baseline biodiversity assessments to ensure relevance and alignment with sustainable forest management goals.
• Review and validate outputs and findings from consulting firms related to forestry, biodiversity, and fire management.

Task 6: Ecosystem Restoration

• Provide guidance on restoration of degraded ecosystems with emphasis on native species regeneration and resilience building.
• Advise on appropriate techniques for site preparation, planting, and post-restoration monitoring.

Task 7: Sustainable Harvesting

• Develop and recommend sustainable harvesting practices for wood and non-wood products that balance ecological integrity with livelihood needs.
• Identify low-impact harvesting zones, methods and sustainable harvesting quota.

Task 8: Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with government agencies, municipalities, local communities, and NGOs to ensure forest management activities reflect local priorities and conservation goals.
• Facilitate capacity building for beneficiaries in selected UOMs and other stakeholders as agreed in the project steering committee and knowledge transfer sessions as needed.

Task 9: Technical Documentation and Reporting

• Assist in the preparation of technical specifications, bills of quantities, and design drawings for relevant procurement packages.
• Contribute to the development of periodic technical and financial reports, as well as updates to the project implementation schedule.

Task 10: Support to Procurement and Implementation

• Participate in receipt and inspection of equipment, goods, and field implementation activities.
• Ensure technical compliance of procured items with project and forest management requirements.