On September 11th, 2022, The Union of Jurd al-Qayta' Municipalities and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) held an emergency and first response maneuver in which the Lebanese Army, the Lebanese Red Cross, the Civil Defense, the first responder team of the Federation of Jurd al-Qayta' Municipalities, Fnaydek Municipality, Meshmish Municipality, and other local associations participated. This maneuver came within the context of the launching of the second phase of the "RESLOG" program, funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which aims to support and enhance municipal work and local economic development in the region.

The University of Balamand (UOB) has had an active role within the scope of SALAR’s efforts in Akkar through a long-standing collaboration with SKL International. The cooperation started through MASAR 1, a project which delivered touristic maps, census data collection, and road mapping. The success of this project was through a joint effort from the UOB GIS Center directed by Dr. Amal Iaaly, SALAR, and the Union of Municipalities. The collaboration prolonged into MASAR2 to deliver eco touristic maps and a crisis management unit operated by the UOB GIS center. This crisis management unit aims to connect all the organizations that respond to disasters such as the Red Cross, the army, and the firefighters. As a part of the maneuver, the UOB GIS team was locating all the facilities that can help the volunteers and the organizations on the ground to respond faster and to operate effectively during a disaster. Dr. Iaaly underlined the partnership between the UOB GIS center, SALAR, and the union of Municipalities, referring to this collaboration as the core of the success in minimizing disaster impact and strengthening community resilience.

Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Rami Abboud who was attending the maneuver spoke during the opening session. In his speech, he highlighted the University of Balamand’s commitment to contributing to national resilience through working closely with international partners and local communities. He praised the efforts of the UOB GIS Center highlighting its recent achievements which give it a rightful place as a center of excellence in its field on national, regional and international scales. ​