MAENA project is driving the restoration of the Small Water Cycle (SWC) by establishing specialized demonstration farms across Tunisia, Lebanon, and Italy. These sites will serve as a “proof of concept” for sustainable practices that will be scaled up and deployed across around twenty private farms in partner countries (Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, Italy and Spain)  The field actions focus on water conservation, soil remediation, water-energy nexus solutions, and advanced monitoring.

In Lebanon, LARI (the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute) Fanar station, located in the coastal area, will promote and validate on-farm water practices under greenhouse production systems.  The site, covering approximately 1,150 m², currently includes two glasshouses (about 60 m² each) used for research purposes.

The planned interventions at the farm include rehabilitating the existing glasshouses, constructing a new polycarbonate greenhouse, and equipping the site with plant- and substrate-based monitoring systems, smart irrigation technologies, and rainwater harvesting and storage infrastructure to ensure efficient operation and long-term sustainability.

Together, these practices aim to improve water-use efficiency, reduce dependence on externally purchased irrigation water, and enhance irrigation precision under controlled environment agriculture. By capturing and storing rainwater that would otherwise be lost as runoff, the system contributes to restoring the Small Water Cycle through increased local water retention and reduced pressure on conventional water resources. In parallel, smart irrigation scheduling based on plant and substrate monitoring will optimize water application according to crop needs, minimizing water losses through over-irrigation, evaporation, and drainage while promoting more efficient water circulation within the production system

Beyond its technical role, LARI Fanar station will function as a hub for knowledge exchange and research on sustainable water management. Particularly, it will provide a platform where students, researchers, technicians, etc. can observe, test, and learn from innovative greenhouse-based water solutions that support climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.