Lavender for livelihoods: How a Lebanese municipality turned waste into opportunity
In the Lebanese municipality of Ainata el Arz, a former illegal waste dump has been transformed into a thriving lavender field. The municipality turned unused land into a climate-smart livelihood initiative that strengthens social cohesion and creates income for both residents and refugees.
Five years ago, at the height of the Syria crisis, Ainata el Arz faced growing pressure on services, limited livelihood opportunities and rising tensions between host communities and displaced families. Instead of relying on short-term humanitarian responses, the municipality chose along-term approach rooted in local leadership and shared economic development.
Lavender emerged as the answer
Through the MASAR programme of VNG International, Ainata reclaimed neglected municipal land and explored alternatives to traditional agriculture. Together with Dutch and Lebanese experts, the municipality identified lavender as a suitable crop: drought-resistant, relatively low-maintenance and with strong market potential.
What started as a small pilot quickly proved commercially viable
The municipality played a proactive role in shaping external support: FAO provided lavender seedlings instead of trees, while GIZ financed a drip irrigation system adapted to aromatic plants. In return, Ainata committed to employing both Lebanese residents and Syrian refugees once cash-for-work programmes ended, creating a dignified shared livelihoods model.
The results speak for themselves:
- Lavender oil is now exported to Europe.
- Producers have secured 10 year contracts.
- More than 20 families have replicated the model.
- The municipality generates its own revenues for community projects serving both residents and refugees.
- A second lavender field has been established with a nearby school as a learning and demonstration site.
- Other municipalities in the region are exploring similar projects.
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