Identification et classification des terres cultivables et des sites potentiels pour l’aménagement de retenues collinaires dans l’est du bassin méditerranéen: le cas du Haut-Jbeil (Liban)

Abstract

In the Mount-Lebanon, the agricultural territory of Aaqoura is significant despite high elevations reaching 2100 m. In the 1960’s, apple orchards were subsidized by a state-owned service of planning: the Green Plan, but the increasing urbanization in Lebanon requires nowadays a solid knowledge of the remaining and not yet developed lands for agricultural extension. The challenge of this study is dual: environmental and socio-economic. Two models of potential site identification and location of new cultivable lands and new hill lakes have been developed in this study. These models are based on pedologic, topographic, geologic criteria and simultaneously integrate socio-economic surveys with farmers in order to assess the convenience of such new infrastructures and to strengthen its relevance in this region. The results of these models lead to two maps that locate sites with high potential for the implementation of new infrastructure, but its analysis must be completed through survey’s results. After field verifications of these maps, 14% of the area is still available for new agricultural lands and only 4% for hill lakes on account of steep slopes, permeability of soil, and farmers stressed out economic challenges, such as the lack of profitable markets, which undermines the local agricultural growth. However, farmers are interested in new hill lakes for the purpose of satisfying orchard high water needs. This integrated approach of rural development, appeared as an interesting tool for planning office such as the Green Plan as much as for farmers since they are the first users of these infrastructures.