First National Workshop ( 1/08/02 )
 

Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 BACKGROUND
2 DISCUSSIONS
2.1 PARTICIPANTS
2.2 AGENDA
2.3 WORKSHOP MATERIAL
2.4 WORKSHOP SUMMARY
2.5 RECOMMENDATIONS
3 CLOSING
4 ANNEXES


1 BACKGROUND
This report summarizes the main issues raised out and discussed during the climate change “First National Workshop” held in Industrial Research Institute (IRI) on 1st of August 2002.
This workshop, which is the first in a series that shall be held to meet the objectives of the climate change –phase II project, was co-financed by the UNDP/GEF, MOE (parallel funding) and MOE (contribution from Hans Seidel Foundation).

Following the initiation meeting of Climate Change Enabling Activity–Phase II, which was held on 12/12/01 at the Ministry of Environment, and as per the discussed project action plan and programme, the First National Workshop was held titled “Training/Awareness and Dissemination Workshop”.
The main objectives were to raise awareness among a wider circle of stakeholders in the public and private sectors, academia, research institutions, non-governmental organizations and others. This is very essential in establishing a plat form on which implementation projects can be established. The workshop included background presentations on the estimation of GHG inventory from the various sectors in Lebanon, with a comparison between base years 1994 and 1999 and background presentations on the impacts, vulnerability and mitigation of GHG in Lebanon.
The following sections describe briefly the issues raised during the one-day workshop as described in the agenda.


2 DISCUSSIONS
2.1 PARTICIPANTS
Forty-eight participants attended the workshop. The Climate Change project manager introduced the workshop, followed by the speech of the hosting agency, IRI Director, Dr. Bassam El Fren, then Ms. Nada Al-Nashif gave the speech of UNDP followed by the speech of Ministry of Environment (MoE) by Dr. Berj Hatjian, MoE Director General. A complete list of invitees and participants with relevant addresses is included in Annex I.
2.2 AGENDA
The agenda of the workshop presented in Annex II, is divided into two general headings: “GHG Inventory (1994 vs. 1999)” and “Climate Change Vulnerability in Lebanon”, each in a different session and complemented with a third application session of Working Groups.
2.3 WORKSHOP MATERIAL
At the opening of the workshop there was dissemination of a Summary Report, leaflets and training manuals. The summary report was termed as the second edition of the First National Communication. To render the Summary Report somehow up-to-date, and within the allocated budget and time frame, some new information has been seeded in, basically chapter one “ Global Facts” and the “Glossary” at the end adapted from several new climate change documents. The leaflets outlining the important points of the report were prepared in three different languages: Arabic, English, and French. Finally the training manuals were developed from the IPCC guidelines worksheet for the different sectors including, transport, energy, land use change and forestry, agriculture, waste, and industry.
2.4 WORKSHOP SUMMARY
As mentioned previously, the workshop was divided into two sessions. Dr. Walid Deghaili (EDL, Director of Studies) moderated the first session where each lecturer focused on a different sector in Lebanon contributing to GHG emissions by sources or removals by sinks presenting the methodology for estimation of GHG inventory and a comparison between the 1994 results and 1999. The most common issue raised and thoroughly discussed during this session was the availability and reliability of input data and the various gaps and uncertainties for accurate estimation of GHG in Lebanon.
Mr. George Akl (LEDO, Project Manager) moderated the second session. This session emphasized mainly on the different on-going projects and research work in Lebanon that are linked to Climate Change mainly mitigation in the building and energy sector, GHG Transport Mechanisms: NOx Application, Health Impacts of Climate Change, Waste to Energy, Energy Conservation and Planning, and Urban Transport Project. The discussions at the end of this session involved mainly the importance of all these projects and the need to build on them further for other projects. The presentations given are included in Annex III.
2.5 RECOMMENDATIONS
At the end of the two sessions the participants were divided to five groups where the training manuals were distributed to work on as per the IPCC guidelines. Each group carried out a specific sector to work on. Wide variety of views were expressed identified a list of topics for further discussion that might facilitate the work of the project and other prospect projects, including: issues related to the scientific basis of climate change, scientific uncertainty, research and systematic observation, impacts and adaptation, effects of measures, development of innovative technology, methodological issues, and other matters. Recommendations of the group works of different sectors are detailed in the following paragraphs.

Industry:
1. Identify data gaps by experts on GHG emissions.
2. Develop a priority matrix based on GHG emissions.
3. Develop criteria for priority setting e.g. sequentially
a. GHG
b. Economical
c. Financial (cost of reducing)
d. Health
e. Social
4. Superimpose all matrices and come to a common priority action plan.
5. Start by diagnosing the details/specificity of the priority area.
6. Integrated mitigation plan
a. Incentive
b. Legislation
c. Monitoring and evaluation
d. Technical support
7. Find links and interfaces between sectors (industry, energy, transportation, etc.).

Transport
Recommendation can be a problem/constraint as a first step in assessing the status of the GHG problems of which will define the mitigation measures.
A. Legislations/measures
1. To reinstall the annual maintenance checkup to include the technical status as well as the tailpipe.
2. To develop a modem infrastructure for natural gas including import/storage/distribution and to enforce safety standards as part of the annual check up.
3. To encourage public transport use by replacing the current cash subsidy for transportation by tickets to use public transportation instead of cars.
4. To emphasize on the need of full collaboration of the ministry of interior, on topics related to transport and its environmental impacts.
5. To make use of the outcomes of ESCWA studies on the mitigation actions and options targeting the abatement of GHG in the various economy sub sectors including the transport sector.
B. Data requirements
1. To request the Ministry of interior to establish data classified by category (private/Public) age, type of fuel etc. Using their computerized registration systems (based on new legislation plates).
2. To conduct sampling project at national level to collect data on actual fuel consumption (L/Km) and emissions of GHG that will enable the establishment of national standards for car emissions.
Energy
1. Develop methods to determine and obtain accurate data. This requires close cooperation between the funding agencies, public and private sectors. Perform different methods of calculations in order to increase the accuracy.
2. Create sustainable cooperation between stakeholders by forming working groups compromising dedicated specialized experts. Theses groups should be given adequate incentives.
3. Investigate the feasibility of utilizing alternative sources of fuel (e.g. natural gas) and set high standards and specifications for the currently utilized fuel, in addition to an accurate database of fuel utilized.
4. Encourage the use of efficient energy producing technologies (combined cycle, hydroelectric…).
5. Encourage the use of energy efficient equipment and facilitate the work of energy saving companies.
6. Encourage the introduction of new and renewable energy technologies (wind, photovoltaic, biomass, solar water heating).
Waste sector
1. Identify stakeholders.
2. Establish checklists per sector to fill in data to provide their needs (it is good to duplicate some parameters).
3. To involve municipality (on relevant sector) in data collection.
4. Report yearly to CC unit in MOE.
5. Integrate the description of data and their collection in the Terms of Reference of subcontractors.
6. Provide training for each sector.
7. Follow up effort by the CC unit MOE and coordination with the academic stakeholders for data analysis and recommendations.
8. Follow up on the Waste Water Treatment strategy (integrate into Terms of Reference).
Agriculture
1. Trying to get some factual and real statistical data on agriculture sector.
2. Adjust and change some of the emission factors in:
a. Manure management
b. Field burning of crop residues
3. Include as many as crops as possible in the field burning of crop residues in the section of the IPCC.
4. Guidance in the usage of nitrogen and animal fertilizers.
5. Taking into consideration the agriculture cycle especially related to Pulses plantation.
6. Relying on irrigation approaches that limit the washing away of fertilizers.
7. Coordinating with current MOE projects that endeavor to find alternatives to Methyl bromide to disinfect the soil.
Land use change and forestry
1. Depending on academic and informational systems to get statistical data about
a. Forest areas
b. Types of trees in forest
c. Annual growth rate
d. Annual rate of tree destruction and cut off
2. Realistic estimation of land use.
3. Estimation of land use changes and forests.
4. Recognizing human and natural parameters that affect in inducing changes in land use practices.
5. Conservation of local trees and natural wealth and exclusion of harmful foreign types.
6. Benefiting from the current project of CDR and from projects of different ministries that aims in developing updated maps for land use.


3 CLOSING
After about a long day of interesting discussions the manager of the Climate Change project announced the closing of the workshop, thanking everyone for their participation and hoping to be able to build on this workshop further and move into implementation projects. At the end, participants joined for lunch at the Riviera Hotel.