By Assaad Serhal
Founder and Chairman of Homat Al Hima International (HHI),
Director General of Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL),
BirdLife International Global Councillor for the Middle East Region
There are moments when official letters transcend bureaucracy and become milestones in a nation’s environmental journey. The recent endorsement issued by the Lebanese Ministry of Environment stands as more than a formal letter, it is a recognition of a vision long rooted in community, science, and stewardship. In her official communication, the Minister of Environment, Tamara Elzein, affirms that the proposed Beirut River Valley Biosphere Reserve represents a complete hydrological system from ridge to coast, rich in biodiversity, ecological connectivity, and strong potential for education, research, and eco-tourism. These words reflect not only institutional backing, but alignment with a philosophy we have nurtured for decades.
Another important endorsement issued by the Union of High Metn Municipalities for the proposed Beirut River Valley Biosphere Reserve is one such moment. It is not merely a document, it is a declaration of shared responsibility between communities, municipalities, national institutions, and international partners.
Addressed to Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, the letter formally endorses SPNL’s submission of the Beirut River Valley to the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. In doing so, it confirms that local authorities stand firmly behind a vision rooted in science, participation, and sustainability.
A Valley That Connects Mountains to the Sea
The letter recognizes that the proposed Biosphere Reserve covers 22,135 hectares, encompassing 67 towns and villages along the watershed. It highlights a comprehensive zoning system:
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Core Areas: 4,591 ha, protected ecosystems with minimal human presence
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Buffer Zones: 5,837 ha, supporting sustainable rural and agricultural activities
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Transition Areas: 11,707 ha, where communities and productive zones thrive
This structure reflects a mature understanding of conservation, one that balances protection with development. It acknowledges that people are not outsiders to nature, they are part of its continuity.
The endorsement further notes that population is mainly concentrated in transition zones, while core and buffer areas safeguard biodiversity hotspots. This integrated planning mirrors SPNL’s long-standing Hima philosophy, where conservation is built around people, not against them.
A Model for Governance and Sustainability
The municipalities’ letter describes the Beirut River Valley Biosphere Reserve as:
“A scientific and governance model for integrated watershed management in a Mediterranean mountain-urban context.”
It emphasizes that the reserve embodies:
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A complete hydrological system from ridge to coast
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High biodiversity and ecological connectivity
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Sustainable livelihoods for local communities
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Agricultural and urban integration
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Strong potential for education, research, and eco-tourism
These elements are not theoretical. They are the result of decades of fieldwork, dialogue with municipalities, collaboration with farmers and youth groups, and continuous scientific engagement.
They represent what happens when environmental policy meets lived reality.
Recognizing SPNL’s Role
The letter clearly identifies SPNL as:
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A leading environmental NGO in Lebanon
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The national partner of BirdLife International
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A promoter of sustainable natural resource use through the Hima community-based approach
This recognition is deeply meaningful. It reflects trust earned through consistency, transparency, and results. It confirms that the Hima model is no longer seen as an alternative approach, but as a national reference for community conservation.
Municipal Leadership in Environmental Stewardship
Signed and stamped by Karim Sarkis, President of the Union of High Metn Municipalities, the letter carries strong institutional weight. It demonstrates that municipalities are not passive actors in environmental protection. They are leaders, partners, and guardians of their territories.
At a time when Lebanon faces economic, social, and environmental pressures, such leadership sends a powerful message: protecting nature is not a luxury, it is a necessity for resilience and stability.
One Hima at a Time
For SPNL, this endorsement confirms a journey that began in villages and valleys long before it reached international platforms.
Our approach has always been simple and ambitious at the same time: stitch Lebanon’s fragmented landscapes together, one Hima at a time.
Today, 44 Hima sites extend across the country, representing wetlands, forests, rivers, agricultural mosaics, and coastal ecosystems. They transcend political and religious boundaries. They unite communities around shared natural heritage.
From the Mediterranean waves to the snow-covered peaks,
من فقش الموج لمرمى الثلج،
the Hima network reflects Lebanon in its full ecological and cultural diversity.
From Local Roots to Global Recognition
This municipal endorsement complements national and international recognition. Together with support from ministries and partnerships with UNESCO, IUCN, BirdLife, SDC, SRT, AFD, GEF, and others, it demonstrates how local action can shape global credibility.
It shows that when communities lead, municipalities support, governments align, and international institutions accompany, conservation becomes a unifying national project.
More Than a Letter
This document is not merely an administrative attachment to a UNESCO file. It is:
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A vote of confidence in community-based conservation
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A bridge between local governance and global frameworks
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A signal to donors and partners of credibility and seriousness
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A commitment to future generations
It tells a story of alignment, between people and institutions, between tradition and science, between hope and action.
A Shared Responsibility
SPNL expresses deep appreciation to all municipalities, partners, and national institutions that continue to walk this path with us. Their trust and engagement transform conservation from an NGO initiative into a national movement.
Protecting a watershed means protecting livelihoods.
Safeguarding biodiversity means safeguarding identity.
Reviving Hima means reviving stewardship.
From ridge to coast.
From village to nation.
From Lebanon to the world.
One Hima at a time.
