Statement of Mr. Cyril Dewalene, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Lebanon, at SPNL’s Third Annual Hima Forum

It is a real pleasure for me to be here with you today in the beautiful Mount Lebanon, and to have the opportunity to leave the dense urban atmosphere of Beirut and meet Lebanese citizens, experience the country’s beautiful environment, and discover elements of its rich culture — including the famous cherries of Hamana and other wonderful local products.

I think this is also what the Hima is about: people, environment, and culture coming together.

First of all, I would like to thank SPNL, with whom we have been working for many years. In 2012, when I first came to Lebanon, I discovered the concept of the Hima. I still remember my first meeting with Assad Serhal, who was extremely dedicated and motivated in explaining what the Hima approach meant.

I must admit that, from the perspective of the EU Delegation, there was initially a certain degree of skepticism because we did not fully understand the concept at the time. However, we were convinced that it was worth giving it a try. So, in 2012, we decided to support and finance the first Hima project. Very quickly, we saw — through the commitment of the team and the communities working to establish these Himas — that this was indeed a very good idea.

When I returned to Lebanon two years ago, one of the first questions I asked my colleagues was: “Do you know what the Hima is?” My colleague Jihad Jradi, who was managing the project, told me: “We have a meeting with SPNL in a couple of days, and Assad Serhal will explain everything to you.”

During that meeting, Assad showed me an impressive map — a map that I still keep in my office today — illustrating how rapidly and successfully the Hima approach had expanded across the country.

For me, this represents one of the great success stories of cooperation between the European Union and Lebanon, because what has been built with the support and dedication of all of you here is sustainable. And sustainability is exactly what we need — not only in Lebanon, but also in Europe and around the world.

Today, we will have the opportunity to hear about what has already been achieved through this project, as well as what still needs to be done to ensure its long-term sustainability: raising awareness among children through the SNOW project, strengthening the accountability of mayors and local authorities, and ensuring that all actors involved continue working together on this important journey.

This forum also takes place at a very critical moment for Lebanon. With great sadness, we learned a few days ago that several areas supported by the BioConnect project in South Lebanon — including Tyre, Mansouri, and Qlayleh — were affected by recent events. We are following developments very closely, and we continue to report to our headquarters in Brussels and to EU member states that such attacks are totally unacceptable.

Environmental protection cannot be separated from people’s daily lives. It is directly linked to food security, jobs, local economies, and community resilience. When nature is damaged, people inevitably suffer. Likewise, when communities are under pressure — as is currently the case in many parts of the country — environmental degradation often accelerates further.

This is precisely why initiatives like this are so important.

Through the Hima approach, the project has demonstrated that protecting nature can also support local development and empower communities. I am especially pleased to see people gathered here today from different regions, religions, and political backgrounds, united by the understanding that when we work together, we are better able to protect the environment, preserve culture, and support people.

This spirit of unity is extremely important, and it is something that the European Union strongly supports within our own countries as well.

We sincerely hope that what has been achieved so far will continue to grow and endure, and that if we return in a year’s time, we will see that the Hima concept we supported is still thriving — even after funding has shifted to address other urgent needs in the country.

I would also like to say a brief word to the Ministry of Environment. We have greatly valued our partnership over many decades, and in recent months we have been encouraged by the renewed momentum around environmental issues and priorities.

The European Union and Lebanon have been stable partners for decades. Last year, while some countries chose to withdraw from Lebanon and from other parts of the world, our message was very clear: the European Union remains a strong and committed partner to Lebanon.

This is also because, within the European Union, we deeply value the creativity, resilience, and contributions of the Lebanese people, which have enriched our societies for many decades.

Long live the Hima. Long live Lebanon. And long live the partnership between Lebanon and the European Union.