Publications

MedScapes (2014-2015): An EU funded project to develop Landscape Character Assessment, as a tool for the effective conservation of natural heritage in the Eastern Mediterranean. Landscapes results from the interactions of different components of our environment – both natural and cultural – and the way these are perceived and understood by people. THE PROJECT The MedScapes project is a collaboration …

Download the Guideline By Assad Serhal – SPNL Director General  Medscapes is a project to demonstrate the importance of landscape and establish a common approach towards its management and conservation in Mediterranean countries. MedScapes Project is funded by the “Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme” which is part of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and its finnancing instrument (European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument …

Status of Lighthouses in Lebanon Lebanon has lighthouses all along its coast. There are lighthouses in Tyre, Saida, Beirut, Batroun and Tripoli. Unfortunately, most of these lighthouses are damaged, and unmaintained; thus abandoned and inactive. The number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and replacement by modern electronic navigational devices. Introduction to MED-PHARES In 2013, …

The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals, with fewer than 600 individuals currently surviving. It is believed to be the world’s rarest pinniped species. The sightings of the monk seal were distributed all over the year (refer to sighting timeline) and specially in the mating season which prove that the Monk Seal is not a …

As part of the Hima programe funded by Mava Foundation and the European Union SPNL produced an educational book in four languages (English, Arabic, French , and Armenian). The Book titled” The Story of Vahe and the Otter” describes the story of  little Vahe and his dad who decided to go hunting. After a long hike across the forest, the father …

By Assad Adel Serhal, Director General, SPNL The Hima approach is a traditional/cultural community-based approach used for the con- servation of sites, species, habitats, and people in order to achieve the sustainable use of natu- ral resources through the community. Hima which means protected area in Arabic, origi- nated more than 1,500 years ago, where it was spread along the Arabian …

A vivid world of butterflies awaits in this first of a kind comprehensive field guide and reference work. About 560 species of butterflies found across 21 countries in the Middle East are adequately described, including 165 species in Lebanon, about 160 endemics, and 40 threatened species. This book features maps and detailed descriptions of each species, including common, scientific, and …

When one thinks of Lebanon, one does not usually think of desert.  ‘A Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Hima Fakiha and the Adjoining Region’ is a text on the plants found in the semi-arid part of the country. This region has been little studied biologically, especially from a botanical point of view. The guide is designed for graduate students, …

‘Field Guide to the Mammals of the Middle East’ (released 2015) is an accessible text suitable for graduate students and professionals in the fields of mammal biology, conservation biology, and ecology, as well as nature conservation practitioners and mammal specialists. The Book will be launched in several countries during the upcoming weeks. Mammals of the Middle East command a high …