Lebanon

Every day boats and fishing boats go out to sea from the port of Tyre. The life of the fishing community is anchored in an environment of extraordinary beauty. The city of Tyre owns natural reserves and Roman antiquities and is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Italian Cooperation and the CIHEAM Bari have a long history of collaboration with the Lebanese institutions and the local authorities. The NEMO project, with WEBPORT, represents a step forward towards a common Mediterranean, joined in a participatory network of cooperation for the stability and development of coastal communities. The open discussion with the union of fishing, which has over 500 members, and with the competent national institutions, have already enabled to complete the framework of regional characteristics, the socio-economic analysis of the sector and the definition of clear indicators of growth.

The agenda of activities includes new institutional meetings between communities and the identification and formulation of a pilot project in the framework of the innovation of the production and distribution chain, the marine environment protection and the tourism development of the region. The modernization of infrastructure and production processes and the exploitation of the rich agricultural and food tradition is the future for the most vulnerable social groups and families of fishermen.

The CIHEAM Bari and the Coastal community of Tyre are working together to promote a bottom-up development, reinforcing the results already achieved thanks to the strong and fruitful friendship between Lebanon and Italy.