In this testimonial clip, Yves Chartouni, an agricultural engineer working with UNDP, explains about the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) project. The project, of which he is the technical coordinator, involves the building up of terraces using burnt tree logs. It is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), in partnership with the Lebanese Ministry of Environment, and is the first of its kind in the country. The nature-based method has been implemented over an area of 10 square kilometres in Harf Al-Sin, located in the mountainous area of Akkar and Jbeil. Being a pine forest, the burnt tree logs are straight in shape. Prior to commencing the works, expert studies were conducted to determine the optimum distance to be maintained between terraces. Besides the required distance a look-up table guides on the diameter of the logs to be used. Yves maintains however that this look-up table should not be used in other areas, as the information is governed by the slope of terrain, which in Harf Al-Sin ranges from 20 to 40%. Yves draws the attention to the importance of the protective gear that is worn by the teams involved in the project, which includes, among other, safety goggles to protect the eyes from sawdust when cutting the trees. Yves is clearly convinced about the multiple benefits the project has delivered. Aside from preventing soil erosion, the terraces will encourage the rejuvenation of the burnt area. He also stresses that the project has trained local, especially young, people who can continue implementing the project to restore their rural livelihood, and whereby excess cuttings bring firewood to heat their homes during the cold winter season, as well as from the thyme and aromatic herbs that will grow under the trees in the rejuvenated forest in the longer term.