Livelihood Transitions in the Rural Mediterranean as Catalysts for Forest Fires: A Case Study of Kfarmatta, Lebanon

Abstract

Forest fires are becoming a serious threat in the Mediterranean region and drier bioclimatic conditions are the first thing that comes into one’s mind when thinking about the causes. This research seeks to explore how recent changes in livelihoods affect the occurrence of Mediterranean forest fires. Using Kfarmatta, Lebanon, as a case study village, the study hypothesis is that changing bioclimatic conditions are not the only reasons behind the occurrence of forest fires, instead socio-economic transitions and environmental transformations act as catalysts for forest fires. The first part of the methodology was an in-depth interview conducted with nine forest stakeholders recruited from Kfarmatta in order to understand livelihood pattern changes in the village. The second part of the methodology consisted of a participatory mapping exercise of ecosystem services’ social values. As a result, it was observed that intangible socio-economic changes implying a “livelihood shift” are happening in Kfarmatta. The intangible social dimension is seen through a weaker forest culture and the loss of traditional forest uses, while the intangible economic dimension is seen through the process of deagrarianization that leads to livelihood diversification. These intangible socio-economic changes in rural areas lead to future tangible environmental changes such as the increase in biomass undergrowth fuel and an increased forest continuity which makes these landscapes more vulnerable to forest fires. Therefore, the study concludes that the socio-economic factors should be dealt with in order to reduce this vulnerability, which can be done through working with the concept of “community forestry” and positively working with the process of “new ruralities”.