Volunteer Stories
Christopher Mallek
Lebanon
Farmer-to-Farmer in the Middle East and North Africa
Name: Christopher Mallek
Current title/profession: Fire Ecologist with the U.S Forest Service
Current hometown: Sacramento, California
Areas of expertise: Fire Management Planning and Operations
ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW
Name of project: Farmer-to-Farmer in the Middle East and North Africa
Location of the project: Lebanon
Organization that sent the volunteer: Land O'Lakes International Development
Overlooking Ajaltoun forest, Chris is pointing to the ideal location to build a fire break to two community members.
VOLUNTEER IMPACT
In March of 2016 , the Farmer-to-Farmer Program in the Middle East and North Africa (F2F MENA) implemented by Land O’Lakes International Development and funded by the United States Agency for International Development, sent Chris Mallek, an expert in fire ecology, to Lebanon at the request of the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI). LRI, a partnership between USAID and the US Forest Service (USFS), provides technical assistance and institutional support on sustainable forestry practies and wildfire management in economically depressed and environmentally degraded regions within Lebanon. F2F Lebanon has been partnering with LRI to provide highly skilled technical experts on short-term assignments to build the technical know-how of the program and its beneficiaries, and has fielded three forest management and fire prevention experts to Lebanon since 2015.
LRI’s community-based model is meant to build strong ties within and between communities and create sustainable reforestation with both local knowledge and outside expertise. At the request of LRI, F2F MENA sent Mallek to Lebanon to help them implement FIREWISE in 5 communities and evaluate its implementation in 2 pilot small communities. FIREWISE is a community-based, participatory approach to fire prevention that strives to empower local communities to work together for the prevention and reduction of wildfire risks and fits very well within the community-based model of LRI. Furthermore, LRI has been ensuring that this approach is replicable by making sure that the recommendations for each location take the local context into consideration and adapt FIREWISE in their own way, at a low cost.
Mallek conducted field visits to most of the sites and met with represenattaives of the local community. He ended his visit participating in a workshop where he trained at least one individual from each location on the fire prevention plan concept which was later used to set a customized Firewise action plan.
Mallek submitted to LRI a list of recommnedtaions based on the assessment he conducted with the local community representatives. His suggested measures that can be taken on a local scale to help prevent fires, vary form fuel management to the fireshed approach He also stressed on the safety procedures and person to go in case of emergency. LRI has relied on Mallek’s recommendation and adopted the fireshed approach in the Firewise upscale plan they are currently working on. Mr. Mallek who is sought to come back for a new assignment to further his work is still remotely replying on technical questions that LRI team is raising.