While water is a quintessential part of farming, its scarcity also reduces the productivity of Lebanese farmers. Indeed, farmers face a significant financial burden in irrigating their land, which is one of the main reasons why only around 40 per cent of total agricultural land is irrigated. These high costs are due to the absence of irrigation canals, which impede the proper transportation of water, driving farmers to spend time and money on obtaining water.
Farmers in Tal Abbas El-Gharbi, located in the Akkar region of North Lebanon, used to depend on a primitive irrigation canal which required restoration to ensure efficient access to water from the Istwan River. More than 138 hectares of land cultivated with cereals, vegetables and other crops did not receive sufficient quantities of water. With the support of its individual donors overseas and in Lebanon, Live Lebanon extended the Al-Saad Irrigation Canal by building a concrete structure 190 meters long.
This project has drastically reduced the large quantities of water lost before reaching the agricultural fields because they were transported through a dirt canal. Moreover, while suitable water has been available nearby, farmers were paying LBP 450,000 (or USD 300) for every 12 hours of irrigation for two hectares of land. The economic impact was devastating, since in trying to reduce their water bill, farmers instead opted to plant crops that do not require a lot of irrigation, and which are not so profitable.
After Live Lebanon’s completion of the irrigation canal in June 2010, farmers have since required 50 per cent less time to irrigate their fields. They are also now saving 30 per cent of their income which was otherwise spent on purchasing water.