Abu Dhabi, October 14, 2025 — The traditional Hima approach took center stage at the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC), held in Abu Dhabi, where it was celebrated as a powerful, community-led model for sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and biodiversity conservation.
Practiced in t he Arab world for over 1,500 years and revitalized since 2004, Hima has evolved far beyond a historical practice. It now stands as a living, effective system of environmental governance, rooted in culture and led by communities.
The first day featured a session titled “Linking Culture to Nature Using the Hima Approach,” organized by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) in partnership with IUCN-ROWA. The session was moderated by Raghida Haddad, Editor-in-Chief of Al Hima magazine.
Assad Serhal, Director General of SPNL and Chairman of BirdLife Partnership Middle East, shared the success story of Lebanon, where 40 Himas have been established with local municipalities—protecting 6% of the country’s territory. Fadi Ghanem, Chairman of the IUCN National Committee in Lebanon, echoed the synergy between culture and conservation, supported by a compelling documentary. Ibrahim Kahder, Regional Director of BirdLife Middle East, emphasized the role of Himas as Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs and KBAs).
On the second day, the plenary session “Hima for Peace” highlighted the approach as a culturally rooted model for restoration, resilience, and community stewardship. The discussion focused on the potential of climate finance and community governance to scale the Hima model across West Asia and beyond.
Following the screening of SPNL’s documentary A Pristine Legacy, Serhal illustrated how reviving traditional governance empowers communities and enhances ecosystem services. Case studies from Lebanon and the wider region showed the Hima’s value as a conflict-sensitive, municipal-level tool for sustainable resource management.
A high-level dialogue, moderated by Dr. Hany El Shaer (Regional Director, IUCN West Asia), explored how vertical finance mechanisms can support community-based biodiversity and climate action. Panelists included:
- Dr. Aiman Soleiman, Egypt’s Minister of Environment
- Dr. Nizar Hani, Lebanon’s Minister of Agriculture
- Dr. Adriana Moreira, Head of GEF Partnerships Division
- Dr. Amgad Elmahdi, Regional Manager, Green Climate Fund (MENA)
- Mahmoud Fathallah, Director of Environmental and Meterological Affairs, League of Arab States
Together, they discussed practical tools and enabling conditions for scaling the “Hima for Peace” model in fragile ecosystems.
On day three, the session “Building Transparency and Measuring Long-Term Impact in Ecosystem Restoration” brought forward examples of how technology and traditional practices can intersect. Assad Serhal presented SPNL’s work on monitoring Hima sites.
Dr. Mohammed Alkhalid, CEO of NetZero, introduced AI-driven tools transforming restoration. Dr. Laith Alrahahleh, Programme Manager at IUCN-ROWA, stressed the need for verifiable data, while Tariq Al-Olaimy, Managing Director of 3BL Associates, presented scalable innovation-based models from Saudi Arabia and the GCC.
SPNL’s delegation to the WCC included Assad Serhal, Andre Bechara, and Raghida Haddad, who collectively demonstrated how traditional wisdom, when empowered by science and community leadership, can guide the way to a more sustainable future.
