On Saturday 11 May 2013 SPNL, the municipality of Kfar Zabad and Anjar, organized a World Migratory Bird Festival in Hima Kfar Zabad. The festival took place through the generous funding of the UN Women Fund for Gender Equality, in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), BirdLife International, European Commission, and the MAVA Foundation. This ceremony serves the main objective of the UN Women project “Promoting Hima Women Empowerment for Conservation and Livelihood” which is to enhance the livelihood of women through the revival of the Hima approach in the IBAs of Lebanon. The celebration included a day out in Hima Kfar Zabad for women from different Hima sites: Kfar Zabad, Aanjar, Qoleileh/Mansouri, Upper Akkar, and Anti-Lebanon. In addition the festival included many outdoor activities such as hiking and bird watching, as well as a presentation on the Hima community based approach for sustainable use of natural resources.
This edition of Al Hima magazine weaves together inspiring stories of nature conservation and community resilience, highlighting how Lebanon is being stitched back to life—one Hima at a time. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) continues its mission to preserve the country’s natural heritage by empowering local communities. A cornerstone of this effort is the BioConnect project, funded by the European Union, which has achieved three national firsts: Lebanon’s first natural park (Upper Matn), first geological park (Shouf-Jezzine), and first endowment Hima (Btekhnay).