Between November and December 2025, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) intensified its work across Lebanon’s most sensitive ecosystems, rivers, wetlands, agricultural landscapes, and emerging protected areas. Behind a dense calendar of meetings, field visits, trainings, and technical reporting lies a unified effort to restore ecosystems, strengthen ecological connectivity, and embed conservation within communities and local governance.
Across projects ranging from freshwater restoration to bird protection, climate resilience, and biosphere reserve planning, SPNL’s teams worked in parallel on one shared objective, turning science, policy, and community engagement into durable conservation outcomes.
Restoring Freshwater Ecosystems in the Upper Litani Basin
In the West Bekaa, SPNL’s work under the DIMFE project continued to address one of Lebanon’s most urgent environmental crises, pollution in the Upper Litani River and Qaraoun Lake. During this period, the focus shifted from planning to deep local engagement.
SPNL teams met with municipalities across Saghbine, Kherbet Qanafar, Ain Zebdeh, and Joub Jannine to formally introduce the project and align priorities. Field visits to dairy factories, identified as key pollution sources, opened direct dialogue with producers on sustainable practices and pollution reduction. Practical measures followed, including the distribution of used cooking oil collection barrels across lake municipalities, addressing contamination at its source.
DIMFE also reached the public sphere through a symbolic yet impactful tree-planting event along the Litani River, reinforcing shared responsibility for ecosystem recovery. In parallel, baseline assessments, socio-economic surveys, and coordination with the Litani River Authority laid the technical foundation for long-term restoration.
Towards Lebanon’s First Natural Park in the Upper Beirut River Valley
While work continued in the Bekaa, SPNL advanced a landmark initiative in Mount Lebanon under the SDC-supported Upper Beirut River Valley Natural Park project. Field visits to municipalities including Araya, Rweiset el Ballout, and Qoubbieh initiated discussions on governance, boundaries, and shared stewardship.
Technical teams developed GIS maps, baseline assessments, and draft charters, integrating biodiversity data with cultural and heritage mapping. These efforts were reinforced through coordination with UNESCO as part of the Beirut River Valley Biosphere Reserve nomination process, positioning the valley within both national and international conservation frameworks.
This phase focused on groundwork, building the scientific, institutional, and community consensus required to transform the concept of a natural park into a viable, protected reality.
Connecting Landscapes Through BioConnect
Across multiple regions, BioConnect continued to strengthen ecological connectivity between protected and semi-protected areas. Work during this period included reviewing and finalising Hima Management Plans, supporting discussions on Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and contributing to national-level conservation dialogue through CNRS-hosted conferences.
BioConnect also reinforced SPNL’s institutional backbone through financial reporting, extension planning, and the preparation of outreach materials that translate complex conservation science into accessible public narratives. The project embodies SPNL’s belief that conservation succeeds when landscapes are managed as interconnected systems rather than isolated sites.
Building Climate Resilience Through Al Murunah and Al Murunah+
In North Bekaa, Al Murunah and Al Murunah+ advanced their integrated approach to climate resilience, water security, and inclusive development. The reporting period was marked by intensive coordination meetings, policy dialogue preparation, and delivery of key technical outputs.
The projects focused on nature-based solutions such as gabion walls and water ponds to mitigate flash floods, alongside farmer training, demonstration farms, and institutional capacity building. Al Murunah+ placed a strong emphasis on women’s economic empowerment, recognising resilience as both an environmental and social process.
Through technical rigor and inclusive design, these projects demonstrated how climate adaptation becomes effective when infrastructure, livelihoods, and equity advance together.
Protecting Wetlands and Birds Through Knowledge and Action
At Anjar Wetland, the PROZHUM project continued to blend restoration with capacity building. Training sessions were delivered, management planning advanced, and local CSOs were supported through a micro-mentorship approach designed to ensure long-term stewardship beyond project timelines.
Meanwhile, the IKBs project sustained momentum in combating the illegal killing of birds. Surveys targeting hunting drivers in West Bekaa, Dannieh, and Keserwan progressed, supported by coordination with APU teams, BirdLife partners, and national institutions. By combining data collection with stakeholder engagement, IKBs tackled the root causes of illegal practices, not only their symptoms.
A Collective Conservation Effort
Across all projects, late 2025 was defined by coordination, credibility, and groundwork. SPNL’s teams moved between ministries, municipalities, wetlands, rivers, schools, and villages, translating technical plans into real-world action.
Whether restoring polluted rivers, preparing Lebanon’s first natural park, connecting fragmented landscapes, or empowering communities to protect their natural heritage, the work shared a common thread, conservation rooted in science, strengthened by people, and sustained through collaboration.
As SPNL moves into 2026, these efforts form a solid foundation for scaling impact, launching public events, finalising baseline assessments, and deepening partnerships. Together, they reflect SPNL’s long-standing mission, protecting nature in Lebanon by working with landscapes, communities, and institutions as one living system.
