Lebanese turn to logging in preparation for winter
Lebanon’s woodlands are at risk as the poor are cutting down trees as an alternative for fuel to heat their homes in the coming winter, and with such desperate measures experts fear the loss of precious and old trees.
BEIRUT — In the face of rising fuel prices and scarcity in Lebanon, residents have become increasingly dependent on cutting down trees from nearby forests and woodlands to stay warm, and while the increased logging is causing fears of deforestation, many in Lebanon say they are left with little choice.
Ziad al-Ayysami, a 32-year-old primary school math teacher, wakes up at dawn and wears his rugged ranger boots for a long day with his electric axe to cut down trees up in the mountains of Haramoun, in preparation for winter.
“I’ve been doing this for the past two months. We live in the Bekaa Valley and winter here is unbearable if the woodstove is not on all day long,” he told Al-Monitor.
Lebanon, known for its ancient trees and green mountains, is now filled not with wildlife but with men and women cutting down trees to gather wood.
