Nature: A Coping Mechanism Amidst the Pandemic
Retreating to nature was the antidote for confinement measures in Lebanese villages. With the depreciation of the Lebanese pound to more than 80% of its value, living expenses soared and villagers resorted to their lands as means of subsistence.
In addition, the Covid-19 outbreak is still worsening the economic and health situation locally making it much harder for the people to be socioeconomically secure.
How are Lebanese people coping?
According to Habitat International Coalition (HIC), a rural renaissance is being observed locally as a direct reaction to the food insecurity and on-off confinement measures imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Kfarmatta, a small village in the Aley district, is one of thoe rural areas which witnessed the return of a great majority of its people to invest and look after its opulent green lands as once before.
Lawyer Hussein El Ghareeb said: “The coronavirus was the remedy needed to return the village back to its golden days…All those who nourished their lands during confinement realized the importance of their treasure not in the city but in their hometown.”
Kfarmatta is known for its fertile lands, abundance of olive orchards, and more recently, it became a target place for recreation. It accommodates more than 30 private and public getaways, has a big club for horseback riding, remarkable ruins from the 19th century and is a great place for hiking and camping, especially near the Damour river which passes through village’s lands.
Water is the most valuable resource for both agricultural and touristic investments locally.
Kanj Hamade, associate professor of Agricultural Economics, told HIC that aside from referring to farming to sustain livelihoods, a main instigator of the growing agricultural trend in the country is the time factor.
Self-isolation happened to concur with planting season which allowed people from upper- and middle-class incomes to invest in their lands.
Yet, it is a promising move that created independence from the importation market, increased investment in the primary agricultural sector locally, and with specialist guidance, it can help the Lebanese economy regain what is left of it.
In times of crisis, the people of Kfarmatta returned to their roots and managed to create a glimpse of hope for them and their families through nurturing nature.
“The best part about taking care of my farm is that I get to connect back to my family through planting… I see them in every handful of soil and that is enough to captivate me from the outside busy world, said El Ghareeb.”
