Stakeholder Engagement and Knowledge Mobilization

Meaningful engagement with Lebanese Ministries of Environment and Agriculture, local NGOs, practitioners, and communities ensured that scientific insights informed policy and restoration practices. By communicating findings clearly and collaboratively, we helped integrate molecular data into the National Biodiversity Action Plan. Awareness campaigns targeted schools, universities, farmers, and land managers, raising understanding of the ecological roles animals play in forest regeneration. This knowledge mobilization builds local ownership, promotes evidence-based decision-making, and bridges science with societal needs for long-term ecosystem resilience.

Strong relationships with government agencies and NGOs fostered trust. Clear, accessible communication materials and workshops facilitated understanding. Involvement of local communities ensured relevance. Institutional support allowed integration into national plans. Funding enabled outreach and awareness activities.

Effective stakeholder engagement requires ongoing dialogue and tailored communication strategies to diverse audiences. We found that combining scientific rigor with accessible language bridges the science-policy-practice gap. Early inclusion of ministries and NGOs increases uptake of results. Awareness campaigns are essential to foster behavioral change and highlight the often-overlooked role of animals in ecosystem restoration. Sustained collaboration ensures findings influence policy and land management decisions. We also learned that participatory approaches empower communities, ensuring solutions are socially accepted and sustainable

Strategic International and Academic Partnerships

Partnerships with the Smithsonian Institution, iBOL, and Saint Joseph University have been central to our project’s success. The Smithsonian provided advanced expertise in metabarcoding methodology and quality assurance, enabling rigorous application of DNA analysis. iBOL supports the expansion of barcoding efforts, particularly for insects, linking our regional data to global biodiversity initiatives. Saint Joseph University leads research implementation and capacity building, ensuring regional ownership and continuity. These collaborations combine global knowledge with local ecological and institutional context, enabling innovation and scalability.

Long-term collaborative relationships, shared scientific goals, and mutual trust were key. International funding and technical assistance fostered knowledge exchange. The presence of a dedicated local research team facilitated communication and implementation. Shared commitment to open data and capacity building strengthened partnerships.

Strong partnerships require continuous communication, respect for local contexts, and clear roles. International collaboration accelerates technology transfer but must be coupled with local capacity building to ensure sustainability. We learned the importance of balancing global scientific standards with regional ecological realities. Formal agreements and joint planning helped align expectations. Integrating diverse expertise—from molecular biology to ecology and policy—enhanced project impact. Finally, these partnerships opened avenues for future research and expanded conservation networks.

Localized Reference Library Development

The creation of a comprehensive, open-access DNA reference library of native plant and animal species was foundational to our solution. Recognizing that global databases lacked coverage for many Eastern Mediterranean species, we built the first Lebanese library encompassing plants, mammals, and now expanding to insects, birds, and fungi. This reference database improves the accuracy of DNA sequence matching and enables precise identification of species present in environmental samples. It also fills a critical regional data gap and facilitates ecological studies, biodiversity monitoring, and conservation planning. By publishing the library openly, we promote transparency, collaboration, and the potential for adaptation in similar biodiversity hotspots.

Strong institutional support from Saint Joseph University, collaboration with local taxonomists, and access to specimens were vital. Funding from initial grants allowed sequencing efforts. Commitment to open data principles ensured broad accessibility. Support from iBOL facilitated integration into global databases, enhancing utility and visibility.

Building a reliable reference library requires significant coordination between molecular scientists and taxonomists. Accurate species identification depends heavily on quality-verified voucher specimens and metadata. The process is time-consuming but indispensable for meaningful metabarcoding results. Sharing the library openly generated interest and collaboration but also highlighted the need for continuous updates and expansion to cover more taxa. Engaging local experts fostered ownership and increased the scientific credibility of the data, ensuring the library’s sustainability as a national resource.

Advanced DNA Barcoding and Metabarcoding Techniques:

DNA barcoding and metabarcoding are cutting-edge molecular techniques that allow precise identification of species from small biological samples such as animal scats. Barcoding targets a single species by sequencing a standard gene region, while metabarcoding amplifies multiple DNA markers simultaneously, enabling comprehensive analysis of complex mixtures. These methods provide detailed insights into animal diets, predator-prey relationships, and seed dispersal patterns without invasive sampling. In our solution, these techniques were adapted to the Lebanese ecological context, enabling high-throughput biodiversity assessment and revealing key interactions between fauna and flora. This approach overcomes limitations of traditional ecological surveys and opens new possibilities for monitoring biodiversity changes, especially in regions with scarce baseline data.

Access to high-throughput sequencing technology, expertise in molecular biology, and the availability of regional reference libraries enabled successful implementation. The collaboration with international experts, such as the Smithsonian Institution, ensured methodological rigor. The development of protocols tailored to local conditions and sample types was crucial for reliable results. Funding from FERI and MEPI provided the necessary resources to establish and scale the molecular workflows.

We learned that customizing DNA metabarcoding protocols to local ecological conditions is essential to maximize data accuracy. Establishing comprehensive reference libraries beforehand is critical for correct species identification. Early engagement with molecular experts and international partners accelerated technology transfer and improved quality control. We also discovered that noninvasive sampling methods, such as scat collection, can yield rich data but require strict protocols to avoid contamination. Finally, integrating these molecular tools with traditional ecological knowledge strengthens interpretation and practical application for restoration.

Connecting with Komodo: Building Place Attachment for Conservation Leadership

This building block focuses on cultivating place attachment—an emotional, cultural, and cognitive bond between youth and Komodo National Park. Through storytelling, field immersion, and reflective learning, students begin to see the park not just as a tourist destination, but as a vital part of their identity and future. The program employs experiential tools such as ranger-led nature walks, local legends, visual storytelling, and ecological mapping to foster deeper connections with the landscape and its inhabitants. These experiences help reposition the park from a backdrop of economic activity into a living, shared heritage. As students develop a sense of belonging and pride, their motivation to protect and advocate for the environment increases. This shift is crucial in transforming passive knowledge into active stewardship, inspiring long-term behavioral change and conservation leadership. Building place attachment ensures that youth understand both the ecological and emotional value of the park, anchoring their sense of responsibility in a place they call home.

Key enablers include the presence of committed park rangers who serve as mentors, local legends and cultural narratives that resonate with students, and access to Komodo National Park as an outdoor classroom. Collaborative partnerships with schools ensure curricular alignment and logistical support. The trust built between students and facilitators, paired with immersive activities in nature, significantly enhances students’ emotional connection to the park and their willingness to become stewards.

One powerful lesson is that connection precedes conservation. Students are more likely to care for and protect a place they feel emotionally and culturally bonded to. We also learned that place attachment cannot be forced—it must be earned through authentic, meaningful experiences. Building trust between facilitators and students takes time but is essential for success. Another insight is the importance of cultural relevance: stories, language, and examples drawn from local contexts deepen resonance and memory. Finally, place attachment is not only about nostalgia or pride—it can be a powerful driver for transformation. When students feel ownership of Komodo National Park, they begin to see conservation not as someone else’s job, but as a personal responsibility. This shift is what transforms students from observers into advocates, and classrooms into launchpads for future conservation leaders.

Empoderamiento de las mujeres

Luego de transcurridos 7 años a la fecha de la intervención del proyecto se pudo evidenciar que se experimentaron cambios en la cantidad de integrantes de mujeres en las asociaciones y cooperativas, en los puestos de toma de decisiones y en procesos productivos, en la gestión de la tierra, protección del bosque y la biodiversidad. Se puedo determinar que aumentó el nivel de empoderamiento personal y productivos de las mujeres con las acciones del proyecto, el nivel de empoderamiento económico particularmente en los casos de las cooperativas de mujeres y en cuanto a la promoción de sus derechos también se incrementó.

En cuanto a las prácticas agrícolas climáticamente inteligentes también se incrementó sobre todo porque conocen y ponen en práctica los conocimientos adquiridos en los procesos de producción de abono, diversificando sus parcelas, participando directamente en la comercialización y transformación de sus productos, lo cual implica en su seguridad alimentaria y reduce las brechas de género. 

El proyecto generó beneficios y mayor participación de las mujeres en procesos productivos, economía familiar, mejores ingresos, comercialización, capacidad de decisión porque ocupan cargos en las directivas.

Deployment - Partnership with local Government Department - Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) for the utilization of Government-Wide IoT Network (GWIN)

Partnership with EMSD allows us to utilize GWIN network as a transmission layer for all sensors installed for this project at Mai Po Nature Reserve (MPNR) with no network recurring cost required.

The technology offers several benefits that make it well-suited for wireless data transmission in IoT applications. Its long-range capabilities allow data to be transmitted over a distance, making it ideal for vast rural areas like MPNR. Furthermore, LoRa’s efficient power consumption extends the battery life of battery-powered devices. LoRa data transmission also ensures the confidentiality and integrity of the data through secure protocols.

In this project, four GWIN LoRa gateways were installed by EMSD within Mai Po Nature Reserve (MPNR). The sensors installed at MPNR are connected to gateways via the low-power and private LoRa network and eventually connected back to the GWIN backend via the 4G network. Besides these four gateways specially installed for this project, other GWIN gateways near MPNR can further secure data transmission reliability. 

In return, these four gateways can also help receiving signal from the sensors installed by various government departments in the surrounding area. 

Traditional sensors would each require a 4G connection to connect to central servers. In the GWIN network, sensors are connected to gateways via the low power and private LoRa (Long Range) network. The network with low power consumption reduces the cost and complexity of installing the sensors and improves the security of the system and data without the need of using a third-party network.

 

 

Pursuing strong partnership with EMSD allows us to more efficiently tackle challenges we are facing at MPNR (limited access to internet and city power) through their well-established network and support. 

Youth Skills Development and Peer Learning

Through technical partners such as the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Forests, the partnership ensures members of the Malawi Green Corps will
benefit from peer learning, transfer of employable skills, and opportunities for youth engagement
in environmental networks and coalitions. Members of the corps receive training in social
accountability, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and civic engagement in order to take
advantage of opportunities from the bidder and/or other available training. Gender
mainstreaming will also feature prominently by offering equal opportunities to young women
and men to join the Green Corps, while also delivering protection and gender equality training
including on SGBV and HIV/AIDS, to all members. While the CO has experience with each of these
organizations, a RFP will be released to inform the final selection of service providers and
performance milestones. Outcome 4 will also identify opportunities to build the skills of youths
so that they are able to develop and pursue nature-based businesses, including through grant
applications to the new Zanchito initiative starting in 2021. This approach will expand the focus
beyond employability to green business development. The bidder will collaborate with UNDP
and the Zanchito initiative to promote access to skills development and entrepreneurship
training.

Restoration of Environmental Hotspots

Up to 5,000ha of degraded land will be restored by the Malawi Green Corps, including through
clean-up of illegal dump sites containing non-hazardous waste. Recyclable materials will be
diverted from the waste stream for repurposing, recycling and/or sale, providing further job and
income generation opportunities. Afforestation and reforestation of degraded sites will focus on
vulnerable watersheds and maximize use of fast-growing indigenous species of trees, shrubs and
grasses suitable to the sites, with linkages to ongoing integrated watershed management and
land restoration initiatives being delivered through government and development partners,
including ecosystem-based adaptation initiatives financed through the GEF. For example, Green
Corps members may work in similar locations to participants in the national social protection
programme to ensure that restoration efforts are complementary, and may link to lake and river
basin interventions under the existing Transformational Action for Resilience in Malawi
(TRANSFORM) initiative.

Recruitment and Mobilization of Green Corps Cohorts

Recruitment of youth prioritizes localizing economic benefits to host communities and
districts, with preference to engaging workers living adjacent hotspot areas. Leveraging UNDP’s
partnership with Malawi’s National Registration Bureau (NRB), biometric national ID cards will be
used by the service provider to validate personnel and ensure transparency of labour inputs and
remuneration. Recruitment guidelines will be finalized by the service provider in consultation
with UNDP and GoM, incorporating gender, disability and income-poverty considerations.
Consistent application of health and safety protocols, including those for COVID-19 as well as
protection safeguards for vulnerable people, will be adhered to by all partners. The service
providers must include personnel protective equipment (PPEs) as part of its procurement plan.