Entangled roots: co-governance and the politics of reforestation in contemporary Lebanon

This article examines the concept of co-governance in the context of reforestation in post-war Lebanon. Specifically, it considers this concept in relation to the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI). Co-governance arrangements are understudied in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, let alone in Lebanon where environmental impacts from climate change and unregulated development are having significant effects. The article highlights the significance of co-governance to the LRI’s reforestation operations and conceptually sheds light on the many simultaneously moving parts and expertise that must be deployed if Lebanon is to bring back its forests, including those of the emblematic cedar.