Lebanon has marked a major milestone in its national conservation journey with the official declaration of Hima Aaiha, which becomes the country’s 40th Hima. This achievement reinforces a growing national movement that places community stewardship, local governance, and scientific conservation at the heart of protecting Lebanon’s natural and cultural heritage.
Declared by the Municipality of Aaiha in partnership with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon, Hima Aaiha stands as a powerful example of how municipalities and local communities can lead environmental action while aligning with global biodiversity commitments, including the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and its 30×30 target.
A Municipal Decision Rooted in Law, Science, and the Public Interest
The establishment of Hima Aaiha was formalized through Municipal Decision No. 4/2025, adopted unanimously by the Aaiha Municipal Council during its legally convened session on 9 August 2025. The decision was taken in accordance with the Lebanese Municipal Law (Legislative Decree No. 118/1977), the Public Accounting Decree for Municipalities (Decree No. 5595/1982), and the approved municipal budget for 2025.
Under the decision, the municipality approved the creation of a natural Hima on public state land (Cadastral Parcel No. 2327) within Aaiha’s municipal boundaries. The Hima aims to preserve natural and environmental heritage, regulate sustainable land use, and ensure the long-term integrity of local ecosystems, based on environmental and scientific studies that highlight the area’s exceptional ecological value.
The Municipal Council also mandated the Mayor, Mr. Wissam Hikmat Al-Aryan, to sign the necessary agreements with SPNL and oversee implementation in accordance with established legal and administrative procedures.
Aaiha, A Strategic Landscape Between Mountain, Plain, and Water
Aaiha, also spelled Aiha (Arabic, عيحا), is a unique village and landscape in the Rashaya District, southern Bekaa, situated in an intermontane basin near Mount Hermon and close to the Syrian border. Rising approximately 1,140 meters above sea level, Aaiha occupies a strategic ecological position roughly midway between Rashaya and Kfar Qouq.
What makes Hima Aaiha particularly significant is its role as a natural ecological corridor, forming a living link between major protected landscapes, including the Chouf Cedar Nature Reserve to the west and the Mount Hermon highlands to the east. This positioning allows Aaiha to function as a bridge for biodiversity, species movement, and ecological connectivity across southern Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon range.
A Rare Natural System, Plains, Lakes, and Underground Waters
At the heart of the Hima lies the Aaiha Plain, an extraordinary, almost perfectly circular basin approximately 3.2 kilometers in diameter, enclosed by surrounding mountains. During wetter periods, the plain transforms into Aaiha Lake, a temporary wetland formed when floodwaters accumulate to depths of several meters.
This intermittent lake has no visible surface outlet. Instead, water emerges from and recedes through large underground fissures, including a prominent chasm in the northwest and a smaller one in the southeast. Local knowledge and historical accounts suggest the presence of a permanent subterranean watercourse, believed by villagers to connect to the Hasbani River, one of the main sources of the Jordan River system.
This phenomenon echoes the ancient narrative known as “The Chaff of Phiala,” described by Flavius Josephus, which recounts how waters from a hidden basin were traced to Panium, modern-day Banias. Later scholars, including Edward Robinson, noted that this story remained alive in local interpretations of Aaiha’s underground hydrology.
Biodiversity of Global Importance
Hima Aaiha supports remarkable biological diversity. The area hosts wild wheat species, including Triticum boeoticum and Triticum urartu, considered ancestral varieties of modern cultivated wheat and of global scientific significance. Traditional pastoral activities, particularly goat grazing, remain part of the local socio-ecological system and will be managed sustainably under the Hima framework.
The intermittent lake and surrounding wetlands have historically provided habitat for migratory and resident bird species. Records from the mid-20th century document sightings of the white-eyed pochard and Eurasian teal, underscoring the area’s importance along regional migratory routes, particularly during years when water persists in the basin.
Cultural and Archaeological Heritage Embedded in the Landscape
Beyond its ecological value, Aaiha holds deep historical and cultural significance. Archaeological surveys conducted in the 19th century documented the remains of a large Roman temple, completed in 92 AD, once dominating a hill overlooking the plain. The temple, built of blue limestone and exhibiting Corinthian architectural elements, was among the most prominent Roman religious structures of Mount Hermon.
Although much of the structure was later dismantled and reused in local buildings, scholars such as Edward Robinson, Eli Smith, and Sir Charles Warren recorded architectural fragments, inscriptions, and vaults, placing Aaiha among the important archaeological landscapes of southern Lebanon. Neolithic flint tools discovered in nearby hills further attest to human presence in the area stretching back thousands of years.
Part of a National and Regional Conservation Vision
With the declaration of Hima Aaiha, SPNL’s Hima network now encompasses 40 community-led conservation sites across Lebanon. This growing network represents a living model of cooperation between municipalities, local communities, national institutions, and international partners.
Hima Aaiha contributes directly to Lebanon’s commitments under international environmental frameworks and reinforces the country’s position as a regional pioneer in community-based conservation, where protection of nature goes hand in hand with cultural heritage, livelihoods, and local governance.
A Model for the Future
Hima Aaiha is more than a protected area. It is a pathway, physically and symbolically, linking Lebanon’s nature reserves, its water systems, its ancient history, and its living communities. It demonstrates that even in times of environmental, economic, and social challenges, local leadership and collective responsibility can deliver lasting solutions for nature and people alike.
As Lebanon celebrates its 40th Hima, Aaiha stands as a testament to the enduring power of the Hima approach, protecting biodiversity, safeguarding water resources, and ensuring that nature remains a shared legacy for generations to come.
