Excerpts from the Letter of Endorsement by H.E. Dr. Tamara Elzein, Minister of Environment, supporting SPNL’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) project proposal to operationalize the Beirut River Valley Biosphere Reserve through a Hima-based approach:
“The Ministry of Environment hereby expresses its endorsement and support for the project proposal submitted by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) under the International Climate Initiative (IKI).”
“The Ministry acknowledges the project’s pragmatic and context-responsive approach, which operationalizes conservation and management actions through Himas at the local level and coordination under the Biosphere Reserve framework, while supporting in parallel the adoption of legal and governance conditions for the future establishment of Natural Parks.”
“The Ministry further recognizes SPNL’s long-standing experience and technical capacity in biodiversity conservation, community-based governance, and stakeholder engagement, as well as the project’s strong collaboration with municipalities, the Union of Municipalities, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders.”
“The Ministry of Environment confirms its willingness to cooperate and coordinate, within its mandate, with the project implementation, particularly on matters related to policy dialogue, governance frameworks, biodiversity planning, and knowledge exchange.”
— H.E. Dr. Tamara Elzein
Minister of Environment, Lebanon
