“Protecting the environment is not an isolated action. It is a collective responsibility and a shared future.” Environmental sustainability is a cross-cutting priority woven throughout the work of The Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST). From awareness-raising and community mobilization to sustainable agriculture and local governance, environmental preservation is approached not as a standalone sector, but as a responsibility toward communities and future generations. In Baalbek and across Lebanon, LOST integrates environmental action as both a development imperative and a civic duty.
This approach has been particularly visible through the Youth Solidarity Against Extremism (YSAE) project, implemented in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Within YSAE, environmental action became a unifying platform, bringing together youth from diverse backgrounds around shared challenges that transcend social, political and cultural divides. By engaging young people in tangible environmental initiatives, the project created spaces for cooperation, dialogue and collective problem-solving, contributing to reduced prejudice and strengthened social cohesion.
On the occasion of International Environment Day, YSAE collaborated with the Climate Action initiative, funded by UNICEF, through a cross-sectoral approach that linked environmental awareness with youth engagement and civic participation. Youth volunteers worked alongside municipalities, organized exchange visits and learned firsthand how young people can contribute to tourism development, environmental protection, food security and waste management in coordination with local authorities.
Beyond structured activities, youth participants also initiated independent environmental actions in schools and universities. They advocated for the integration of environmental priorities into municipal agendas, organized cleaning campaigns, launched local green initiatives and successfully contributed to the establishment of a youth delegate position in one of the main municipalities, ensuring that young people have a voice in environmental decision-making processes.
LOST further strengthened its environmental commitment through the Greener Lebanon project, implemented in partnership with UNICEF. Through this initiative, more than 5,000 young people, including school and university students, school clubs, scouts and LOST beneficiaries, received training on climate action. Participants learned how to design and implement environmental initiatives that respond to pressing climate challenges, with a focus on youth-led action in areas such as waste management, tree planting, water conservation and the revitalization of green and blue spaces.
Following climate education sessions and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) inductions, youth volunteers translated learning into action. Their efforts resulted in the collection of 3,961 kilograms of plastic waste and the planting of 1,450 trees, practical outcomes that reflect both environmental impact and sustained civic engagement.
Across all its programs, environmental sustainability remains central to LOST’s vision. Environmental action is approached as a shared responsibility that connects people, institutions and local ecosystems. Through youth engagement, collaboration with municipalities and the integration of sustainability into community development efforts, LOST continues to support locally driven solutions that strengthen social cohesion and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable future for Lebanon.
