Briquette Production in the Shouf

In the Shouf Biosphere Reserve in Lebanon a briquette plant is producing cheap, clean energy that is becoming an increasingly valued alternative to firewood and diesel – the main energy sources in most households – while significantly reducing the risk of fires. The Kfarfakoud Briquettes Center has developed thanks to the adaptive forest landscape restoration plan of the Reserve which includes the management of abandoned coppice woodlands (mainly evergreen and broadleaf oak) to turn them into old-growth stand thereby increasing their ecological value. The thinning of the woodlands has resulted in the production of considerable amounts of biomass, and the briquette plant has “closed the circle”, making use of the biomass, an ingenious best practice contributing to the global process towards a more sustainable management of natural resources. The collection of this biomass – along with woodland pruning waste – has decreased the number of autumn fires in the Reserve. The production of the briquettes and the sustainable management of the forest are helping prevent fires and pollution from agricultural waste, and mitigate the problems caused by the CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and forest fires, while converting waste into an economic and rural development opportunity.

For more information: Marco Pagliani, Shouf Biosphere Reserve mrcpagliani2@gmail.com

Photo: Biomass Briquettes © Shouf Biosphere Reserve

29 October 2020