The UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut, in partnership with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), convened a high-level regional meeting to advance a shared vision for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development across the Levant.
The meeting, was held online on 2 April 2026, brought together leading international organizations, national authorities, and regional experts to explore how the Hima approach, a community-based conservation system rooted in local traditions, can be integrated with globally recognized frameworks including UNESCO biosphere reserves, World Heritage sites, and geoparks.
As outlined in the official meeting agenda , the event aimed to establish a collaborative platform to exchange experiences, address biodiversity loss, and shape future conservation pathways in the region.
A notable contribution to the discussion was made by Nazar Hassan through the Levant 2026 Accelerator Initiative, which was presented as a catalytic platform to fast-track regional cooperation on biodiversity and sustainable development. The initiative seeks to move beyond dialogue toward implementation by supporting scalable, innovation-driven conservation models that bridge policy, finance, and community action. Emphasizing agility and impact, the Accelerator aims to connect local initiatives such as Hima with regional and global funding mechanisms, technical expertise, and policy frameworks. It also promotes cross-border collaboration, knowledge transfer, and the incubation of pilot projects that can be replicated across the Levant. By aligning grassroots conservation practices with strategic investment and regional coordination, the initiative positions itself as a key driver in transforming commitments into measurable outcomes, reinforcing the region’s capacity to respond collectively to environmental challenges.
Michelle Jalkh, National Program Officer at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), highlighted the importance of linking community-based conservation models such as Hima with long-term development programming and donor-supported frameworks. She underscored SDC’s sustained commitment to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) and its Hima initiative over the past two decades, particularly through its generous support under the water programme, which has contributed to strengthening community resilience and sustainable natural resource management. Emphasizing the role of inclusive governance, Jalkh noted that successful conservation efforts must be anchored in community ownership while being supported by coherent policy environments and sustained investment. She also pointed to the need for stronger alignment between national priorities, regional cooperation mechanisms, and international funding streams to ensure that innovative approaches like Hima can be effectively scaled and replicated across the Levant.
A key contribution to the meeting came from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which underscored the strategic importance of integrating internationally designated areas through coordinated conservation frameworks, particularly in the context of Multi-Internationally Designated Areas, MIDAs. The presentation highlighted that more than 4,000 internationally designated areas exist worldwide, including biosphere reserves, World Heritage sites, Ramsar sites, and geoparks, with approximately 395 sites holding multiple international designations. While these overlapping frameworks create valuable opportunities for enhanced cooperation, visibility, and resource mobilization, they also present notable challenges, such as fragmented governance structures, overlapping legal and administrative systems, competition for recognition and funding, and confusion among local stakeholders. Despite these complexities, participants emphasized the significant potential of such systems to strengthen institutional coordination, promote integrated landscape and seascape management, and better align conservation efforts with cultural and development priorities. Within this context, the Hima approach was recognized as a critical, community-centered model capable of serving as a unifying layer across these international frameworks, ensuring that conservation efforts remain rooted in local stewardship and inclusive governance.
Adriana C. Moreira, Head of the Partnerships Division at the Global Environment Facility, underscored the critical role of strategic partnerships in accelerating environmental action at both regional and global levels. She emphasized that the Global Environment Facility is advancing innovative financing models that connect local initiatives with global priorities, particularly in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, and ecosystem restoration. Moreira highlighted that community-based approaches such as the Hima model represent effective pathways for achieving sustainable impact, especially when embedded within multi-partner financing frameworks and supported by strong collaboration between governments, international organizations, and civil society. She further stressed the importance of scaling up investments in nature-based solutions and improving access to finance for local initiatives, enabling the translation of global commitments into tangible, on-the-ground results while strengthening the region’s collective capacity to address complex environmental challenges.
From Local Stewardship to Global Frameworks
At the heart of the discussions was a shared recognition that effective conservation must bridge local knowledge systems with international standards and policy frameworks. Assad Serhal, Chairman of the BirdLife Middle East Partnership and Director General of Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon, emphasized that the Hima approach embodies a governance model rooted in community stewardship, cultural heritage, and the sustainable use of natural resources. He underscored that reviving and adapting this tradition offers not only ecological benefits but also reinforces the social fabric that underpins long-term conservation success.
Participants highlighted that Hima provides a practical and scalable response to contemporary environmental challenges by empowering local communities as primary custodians of ecosystems, enhancing sustainable livelihoods, and strengthening social cohesion alongside environmental responsibility. In this sense, Hima was presented not merely as a conservation tool, but as an integrated socio-ecological framework capable of aligning local action with global priorities.
Martin Harper, Chief Executive Officer of BirdLife International, noted that the Hima approach is strongly aligned with global biodiversity strategies and contributes directly to achieving international targets, including the 30×30 conservation goal. He further stressed that such community-based models are essential for translating global commitments into tangible outcomes on the ground, particularly in regions facing complex environmental and socio-political pressures.
ntegrating Internationally Designated Areas, A Strategic Imperative
A key contribution to the meeting came from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which emphasized the increasing importance of Multi-Internationally Designated Areas, MIDAs, and the need for more coordinated conservation frameworks. The presentation highlighted that more than 4,000 internationally designated areas exist worldwide, including biosphere reserves, World Heritage sites, Ramsar sites, and geoparks, with approximately 395 sites holding multiple international designations, creating important opportunities for enhanced cooperation, recognition, and global visibility.
At the same time, participants acknowledged that these frameworks are often accompanied by complex challenges, including fragmented governance structures, overlapping legal and administrative systems, competition for resources and recognition, and confusion among local stakeholders navigating multiple layers of designation.
Despite these constraints, multi-designation systems were recognized as offering significant strategic advantages, including strengthened institutional coordination, more integrated landscape and seascape management, increased access to global visibility and funding opportunities, and improved alignment between conservation objectives, cultural values, and sustainable development priorities.
Within this context, discussions underscored that the Hima approach can play a critical role as a unifying, community-centered layer within these complex international frameworks, helping to ensure that conservation efforts remain grounded in local stewardship, inclusive governance, and people-centered approaches.
Towards Integrated Conservation Landscapes
Participants emphasized the urgent need to move beyond isolated conservation sites toward integrated, multifunctional landscapes that connect Hima community-managed areas with UNESCO biosphere reserves, geoparks and other protected areas, as well as critical ecological corridors such as migratory flyways. This shift was framed as essential to ensuring ecological continuity and resilience across borders and ecosystems.
The integration of these approaches was identified as a key strategy for addressing interconnected global challenges, including biodiversity loss, climate change, and ecosystem fragmentation. By linking sites and governance systems, conservation efforts can better reflect the complexity of natural systems and the socio-economic realities of the communities that depend on them.
Tim Badman, Director of the World Heritage Programme at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, underscored that effectively linking nature and culture is fundamental to sustainable conservation outcomes. He emphasized that placing people at the center of these integrated landscapes is not only a normative imperative, but also a practical necessity for achieving long-term success, resilience, and stewardship.
Regional Momentum and Country Engagement
Country interventions demonstrated growing regional momentum:
- Jordan, through the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, showcased advanced protected area management models and proposed new sites incorporating Hima principles
- Syria presented officially recognized conservation areas and outlined pathways for future site designation despite institutional challenges
- Palestine highlighted existing conservation initiatives and stressed the importance of sustained international support
- The Levant 2026 Accelerator Initiative was introduced as a platform to scale regional cooperation, innovation, and knowledge exchange
Across all presentations, countries demonstrated a shared commitment to expanding conservation efforts while navigating complex environmental, political, and institutional realities.
Shared Challenges in a Complex Region
Participants identified several cross-cutting challenges:
- Limited financial and technical capacity
- Gaps in governance and policy coherence
- Environmental pressures, including climate change and land degradation
- The impact of regional instability on conservation planning and implementation
There was strong consensus that these challenges require coordinated, cross-border responses and long-term investment.
Key Outcomes and Strategic Directions
The meeting concluded with a clear set of strategic priorities:
- Recognizing the Hima approach as a cornerstone model for inclusive and sustainable conservation
- Expanding integration between Hima, biosphere reserves, geoparks, and other international designations
- Supporting countries in advancing both existing and proposed conservation sites
- Strengthening global and regional partnerships to ensure coordinated action and shared responsibility
- Promoting nature-culture approaches that place communities at the center of conservation
Participants also committed to continued collaboration and joint engagement in upcoming international platforms, including initiatives linked to Samarkand, reinforcing the region’s role in global conservation dialogues.
A New Paradigm for Conservation in the Levant
The meeting underscored a transformative shift in conservation thinking, one that recognizes that biodiversity protection cannot be separated from people, culture, and governance.
By integrating traditional systems like Hima with modern international frameworks, stakeholders are laying the foundation for a new conservation paradigm, one that is:
- Inclusive and community-driven
- Scientifically informed and globally connected
- Adaptable to complex regional realities
This initiative marks an important step toward building resilient ecosystems, empowered communities, and sustainable futures across the Levant and beyond.
