Local Empowerment Hima Community Based Programme

HIMA is a traditional community-based approach to sustainably manage natural resources in a way that realizes common benefits for people and Nature.  It is a traditional way to conserve biodiversity as well as natural and cultural heritage of the area.

The word HIMA is an Arabic word meaning “a protected area”.  The HIMA was established over 1500 years ago within the Arabian Peninsula; it evolved later adding to its social norms and values especially through the Islamic culture.

SPNL revived this approach in 2004, through the support of its conservation partners Birdlife International & IUCN aiming to conserve IBAs/KBAs; merging scientific approaches with the HIMA traditional values.

Hima School (School with No Walls-SNOW)

A school with no borders aiming to raise the capacities of children between the ages of 8 and 12 on the general concepts of conservation whether related to biodiversity or the natural resources in order to prepare them to join Homat Hima program at a later stage.

Hima school will provide environmental packages to all schools in the Hima sites; Packages include interactive educational tools to be used by teachers in order to build the capacities of children while introducing them to new methods to explore their Hima heritage, appreciate its values and be dedicated to preserve it.

Homat Hima programme

Homat Hima is an Arabic slogan widely used to recognize the individuals and groups acting as HIMA guardians and Heros.ima is an araH

Homat Hima are motivated, well trained and equipped youth from local HIMA communities, aspiring to lead on activities and give exposure to the HIMAs. Moreover, they are ambitious to work for their communities including environmental, economic and social concerns, and to assure the conservation of the site and its key biodiversity, and the ecological and cultural services it provides.

Much thanks to the generous partnership with MAVA Foundation, this program got initiated in year 2016.

Souk Hima Programme

A new programme initiated by SPNL during fall of year 2014, aiming to conserve cultural and traditional skills at local communities and to upgrade the livelihood of rural communities within IBAs/HIMAs in Lebanon interlinked with natural resources.

Through the revival of traditional and cultural hand-made products in the Hima sites, Souk Hima arose as a marketplace (Virtual on-line ) and at HIMA Shops )دكا ن الحمى), for these items that hold conservation messages and serve the purpose of economic empowerment at local , national and international levels. So far three shops have been established at Hima Anjar & Hima Qoleileh & Hima Fekha.

Special thanks for the support of the UN Women Fund for Gender Equality and European Union that allowed the initiation of Souk Hima.

Hima to Hima Programme

A new programme at SPNL which aims to promote ecotourism activities at Hima sites and increase the resilience of local communities through nature based income generating activities.

Hima Farm Programme

Hima Farm Programme, where SPNL & Lush share common values that includes organic agriculture, permaculture, sustainable use of resources, no hunting, no child labor, raises capacity of locals, provides jobs for locals & refugees, conserves native plants & herbs; and financially sustainable…in addition to the involvement of youth and women as under-privileged groups. Lush is interested to purchase herbal products from Hima farmers and help in marketing their production in more than 40 countries.