By Malek Ghandour
Secretary General of the Lebanese Environment Forum
In 2012, the Lebanese Ministry of Environment developed the National Strategy for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). A decade later, the Lebanese Environment Forum (LEF) initiated a project, securing funding from the European Union, to advance this strategy from concept to implementation. This article sheds light on the National Campaign to Establish a Network of Marine Protected Areas in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s marine ecosystems, despite covering less than 1% of the world’s ocean surface, host around 6% of the planet’s marine species. This remarkable biodiversity underscores the ecological significance of Lebanon’s coastal waters, which are under increasing threat from pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing, and climate change.
While Lebanon has laws and decrees governing marine ecosystems, some dating back to the 1920s, the country faces immense challenges in preserving marine biodiversity. These include lack of enforcement, poor planning, political interests, and limited public awareness about the value of marine resources. The rapid deterioration of marine biodiversity, exacerbated by the ongoing economic crisis, highlights the urgency of addressing these issues.
In response, the Ministry of Environment proposed a marine protected area strategy in 2012, identifying 21 sites for conservation, including four in deep waters. To date, only three have been established as MPAs: the Palm Islands Nature Reserve, Tyre Coast Nature Reserve, and Abbassiyeh Coast Nature Reserve. These reserves are vital for protecting marine ecosystems and habitats critical to Lebanon’s environmental sustainability. However, accelerated efforts are needed to expand the number of MPAs.

The Importance of a Marine Protected Area Network
A network of MPAs differs from standalone protected areas, as it connects strategically linked sites to achieve broader environmental conservation goals. Creating such a network requires an integrated approach that combines ecological, social, economic, and administrative considerations.
The National Campaign to Establish a Network of MPAs in Lebanon advocates for an effective network covering at least 30% of Lebanon’s exclusive economic zone by 2030. Despite the country’s economic struggles, this initiative is critical for several reasons:
- Conserving Biodiversity: It addresses threats to marine biodiversity, which is essential for Lebanon’s environmental health.
- Protecting Livelihoods: Over 100,000 Lebanese citizens rely on fisheries, marine tourism, seafood industries, and salt extraction for their livelihoods.
- Sustainable Management: An MPA network ensures long-term benefits for local communities, contributing to their social and economic resilience.
Prioritizing MPAs is not only about environmental protection but also about safeguarding communities from economic and ecological challenges.
Ensuring Effective Protection
Enforcement has long been a challenge in Lebanon, but that should not deter the creation of MPAs. Terrestrial protected areas in the country also face enforcement difficulties, yet without them, the situation would be far worse. Establishing MPAs is the first step; subsequent efforts must focus on enforcement, despite limited government resources.
Protecting MPAs is easier than terrestrial areas, as access to the sea is limited to boats and ships. Monitoring can be efficiently conducted using radars, satellites, or onshore surveillance. Collaborative efforts with the Lebanese Navy, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Environment have shown promising willingness to cooperate.
Lebanon’s marine environment faces multiple threats, including overfishing, illegal fishing practices, pollution, sand extraction, habitat destruction, invasive species, and climate change. A network of MPAs covering 30% of Lebanese waters could mitigate these threats by strengthening marine ecosystems and offering opportunities for recovery. However, MPAs alone are not enough. Additional measures are needed, such as curbing pollution sources, promoting sustainable fishing, and addressing climate change on a global scale.
Success Stories
Lebanon’s three existing MPAs—Palm Islands Nature Reserve, Tyre Coast Nature Reserve, and Abbassiyeh Coast Nature Reserve—have made notable progress. Palm Islands and Tyre Coast, in particular, have received funding to bolster staffing and operational mechanisms. These efforts have facilitated research, public awareness campaigns, and scientific projects, attracting visitors and fostering engagement.
Recently, Palm Islands secured funding to monitor marine life within and around the reserve over the next five years. This initiative marks the first long-term study of MPA effectiveness in Lebanon.
Community involvement has proven vital to the success of MPAs. Globally, engaging local communities in MPA governance and management is critical, particularly in countries like Lebanon, where law enforcement is challenging. When communities feel a sense of ownership, they play a constructive role in protecting and enhancing MPAs.
The Lebanese Environment Forum strongly advocates for community participation, proposing that locals be included in governing committees and enforcement roles. Each MPA should have a dedicated community engagement plan, making public involvement central to its operation.
In 2019, Lebanon passed the Protected Areas Law, providing a framework for establishing and managing protected areas. However, the law lacks specific guidance on MPAs, as it was primarily modeled on terrestrial conservation experience. The National Campaign for a Network of MPAs aims to address this gap by proposing legal amendments to improve the framework for creating and managing offshore MPAs and establishing a connected network.
Lebanon has less than 1% of the ocean surface, yet its marine ecosystems host about 6% of all marine species in the world. This remarkable biodiversity underscores the environmental importance of Lebanese coastal waters, which are increasingly threatened by forms of human intervention, including pollution, habitat destruction, unsustainable fishing practices, and climate change.
In 2012, the Ministry of Environment set the National Strategy for Marine Protected Areas, proposing the protection of 21 sites, of which only three have been established. Ten years later, the Lebanese Environment Forum (LEF) received funding from the European Union to develop the strategy and move it from theory to practice. Now it is leading a national campaign to establish a network of marine protected areas that will cover at least 30% of Lebanon’s exclusive economic zone by 2030. This initiative addresses threats to biodiversity and marine resources that are essential to the livelihoods of over 100,000 Lebanese citizens in the fishing community, in addition to marine tourism, seafood industry, salt extraction, etc.
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