Spring flowers blossom next to marshland and Anti-Lebanon Mountain at Kfar Zabad Globally Important Birding Area in Bekka Valley region of Lebanon Monday April 28, 2008. In 2005, the Kfar Zabad wetlands earned Hima status through the collaboration of local municipality officials and landowners with SPNL and other organizations engaged in wildlife conservation and eco-tourism.

Revive Traditional Approaches for the Benefit of the Future

Revive Traditional Approaches for the Benefit of the Future (December 2011- May 2013)

Project Goal: To promote conservation of communal natural resources through revival of traditional community based approaches.

Project Objectives:

  • Empower municipalities-local authorities and strengthen cooperation through local committee.

  • Raise the capacity of municipalities in environmental conservation through awareness on the Hima approach for conservation of natural resources, especially forests and water resources.

  • Promote protection of KBAs1 through establishment of Hima site-community based conservation.

  • Support the establishment of scout camping site for awareness and training of the youth

  • Support the adaptation of traditional but actually applied management of water resources to the new needs of agriculture and the communities.

  • Ensure possible replication through dissemination of lessons learned from the project.

Project Activities:

Cooperation between municipalities will be strengthened through local committee anda common action plan for sustainable development of the region will be developed through the application of the Hima approach. Capacity of municipalities on conservation will be raised through awareness on the Hima approach for conservation of natural resources, especially forests and water resources, and exchange visit to another Hima site in Lebanon. Follow up activities to be carried out in Andaket village include:

  • Support Andaket municipality in the process of identification, establishment and planning for the sustainable management of Hima sites- community based conservation sites (Learning by doing).

  • Support the development of scout camping site at the border of the Andaket forest for awareness and training purposes addressed to the young of the region and of other regions.

  • Develop a research-action on customary management of water resources in the region still applied, and its adaptation to the new needs of the region.

  • Support rehabilitation of water distribution network in Andaket village.

  • Raise the capacity of Andaket municipality in customary systems for management of water resources.

  • Document lessons learned from the project through a webpage on the SPNL and Andaket municipality website.