Across the rural landscapes of Damour in Lebanon, water quietly shapes the rhythm of daily life. It determines when crops are planted, how food is prepared and whether a family’s income will last through the season. For many households, it is women who manage this delicate balance. They rise early to tend fields, maintain irrigation systems, wash produce and preserve food, ensuring that both land and family continue to thrive.
In rural Lebanon, women are deeply embedded in agricultural and water management systems. They understand rainfall patterns, soil moisture and seasonal shifts through daily practice and observation. Yet their role is often underestimated in the decisions that govern land use, water allocation and agricultural planning. Unequal access to land, finance, technology and training adds to the pressures they face.
Climate change is making these challenges more visible. Rising temperatures, irregular rainfall and declining water quality are affecting agricultural production and threatening livelihoods. Water shortages disrupt planting cycles, while unpredictable seasons make it harder for farmers to plan and sustain their crops. For women who are closely involved in managing farms and household resources, these changes are felt immediately.
In Damour and the surrounding villages, the consequences of water stress are no longer distant concerns. They are part of everyday life.
Siham Ghanem, from Al-Worhaniyah in the Chouf District, has worked in agriculture for more than thirty years. Together with her family, she cultivates organic crops and produces traditional preserves using ingredients grown in their garden in the Al-Bassīl area.
“Our crops are irrigated with clean water from Barouk spring,” she explains. “We have been working in agriculture for more than thirty years, and all our products are traditional and locally made.”
Reliable water is essential for her work. It supports irrigation, allows produce to be cleaned and prepared safely and helps maintain the tools used in processing food products that contribute to the family’s income. Access to clean and regular water is also a prerequisite for access to finance for income generating activities.
For Sanaa Al Aawar, who has lived in Al-Warhanieh for fifteen years, farming is part of a demanding daily routine that combines agricultural work with household responsibilities. She begins her day before sunrise.
“I usually head to the fields around six o’clock. I work until ten, then return home to rest and take care of household chores. I also help with managing the water tanks, maintaining the drip irrigation system and cultivating the soil to preserve its moisture.”
Her work reflects the many roles women play in sustaining agricultural production, particularly in areas affected by water scarcity and economic pressures.
In Ain Zhalta, Nada Abou Aichi returned to agriculture after a 30-year career in accounting. Today she works alongside her husband growing seasonal vegetables and fruit trees. Their farm has already experienced the effects of reduced water availability.
“We grow seasonal vegetables and have fruit trees. My husband and I cooperate in watering the crops, harvesting and packaging. We have faced water shortages, and weeds have grown in our land, damaging a large part of the crops.”
For these women, water is more than a natural resource. It is the foundation of their work, their food production and their economic stability. Climate change is altering how much water is available, when it arrives and how reliably it can be used. These shifts are felt most strongly by those whose livelihoods depend directly on the land.
At the same time, women farmers are actively identifying solutions that could strengthen resilience in their communities. Practical support for irrigation systems, training that builds agricultural skills and opportunities to connect small producers to markets are among the priorities they highlight.
Nada believes that strengthening women’s role in agriculture requires both knowledge and resources.
“Women should receive more training and encouragement, and be given opportunities to strengthen their role in agriculture, along with financial support.”
Sanaa emphasises that expanding agricultural activities and diversifying crops can help farmers respond to changing environmental conditions, especially when women’s practical knowledge of the land is recognised and included in decision-making processes.
Siham sees opportunities not only in improving farming practices but also in helping small producers reach new audiences.
“We need someone who can help introduce visitors to our garden, support people in tasting what comes from it, and assist us with some marketing, something inside the garden itself, so people can come, taste and get to know our natural products.”
Her vision reflects a broader understanding of resilience. Sustainable agriculture depends not only on water and soil management but also on the ability of farmers to present, promote and sell what they produce.
Recognising the importance of these perspectives, the Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme), financed by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the UN Environment Programme / Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) in partnership with national authorities, works to ensure that women’s experience informs coastal and water management planning.
In Lebanon, the programme supports activities linked to the Damour Integrated Management Plan, where women farmers participate in consultations and local dialogues connected to Integrated Coastal Zone Management processes. These discussions contribute to shaping adaptation strategies, strengthening agricultural resilience and protecting water resources.
By bringing women’s knowledge of farming practices, water use and seasonal changes into planning processes, the initiative helps ensure that environmental policies reflect the realities faced by rural communities. Women who work the land every day bring practical insight into how water systems function, how crops respond to climate stress and what support farmers need to adapt.
In Damour, the experience of women like Siham, Sanaa and Nada illustrates how climate resilience is built at the community level. Through their work in fields, gardens and homes, they continue to sustain agricultural traditions while adapting to new environmental realities. Their knowledge, commitment and ideas are helping shape more sustainable approaches to managing water and land in a changing climate.
The Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme) is a Global Environment Facility funded initiative implemented by the UN Environment Programme / Mediterranean Action Plan. It aims to reduce environmental pressures affecting coastal areas while strengthening climate resilience, water security and sustainable livelihoods across nine beneficiary countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco and Tunisia. GWP-Med is the executing agency for Child Project 2.2 whose main objective is to “Balance competing water uses in priority coastal areas through water, food, energy and ecosystems integrated governance, to enhance environmental security and sharing of benefits”.
