Advertising Read moreThe "Friends of the Tree" group works to raise awareness about green areas around the capital Tripoli that are quickly disappearing because of drought, human activity and desertification. "Man has destroyed forests" and much of the vegetation, said the group's leader Khalifa Ramadan, who has been working in agriculture and gardening for 40 years. At his farm in Tajura, an eastern suburb of Tripoli, Ramadan has planted eucalyptus, palm and laurel trees, which the group plans to replant around the capital. The group meets weekly to launch media campaigns and carry out activities to confront "the dangers facing Tripoli and other coastal cities", said Ramadan. Falling water tablesBut Libya and its forests face other, more long-term challenges -- especially water scarcity driven by climate change and population pressures.
