Beirut, 23 December 2024:  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Environment, the Embassy of Italy in Lebanon and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) organised a workshop aimed at enhancing the legal and institutional frameworks governing Lebanon’s protected areas. 

The event brought together a broad spectrum of participants, including government representatives, legal and environmental experts, civil society organizations, and community stakeholders. The primary objective was to evaluate existing governance structures, identify areas for improvement, and chart a course toward enhanced management and conservation practices for protected areas.

The workshop adopted a participatory approach to explore Lebanon's legal and institutional frameworks for the establishment and management of Protected Areas. Discussions centered on a proposed policy brief, governance structures, and expert roundtables focused on Nature Reserves, Natural Parks, Natural Sites, and Himas.

Dr. Georges Mitri, representing the Minister of Environment, H.E. Dr. Nasser Yassin, emphasized that “the Ministry of Environment is deeply committed to conserving Lebanon's biodiversity. While the current law is adequate, evolving challenges call for building upon it to ensure future improvements. This includes developing clear, specific guidelines and establishing effective mechanisms to define and monitor violations”.

Mr. Pietro Eynard, the first Secretary at the Italian Embassy in Beirut, representing H.E. The Ambassador of Italy in Lebanon Fabrizio Marcelli, explained that "protecting nature is not just an ecological necessity; it is also an economic opportunity. By investing in biodiversity and nature reserves, we empower local communities to generate income and develop innovative models of sustainable tourism".

To preserve the resilience of nature reserves in Lebanon, as articulated in the Ministry of Environment’s 2016 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, UNDP, with funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), is implementing the Step4Nature project, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, which aims to safeguard, enhance, and improve nature reserves in Lebanon from institutional, socio-economic and technical perspectives.

While research and infrastructural improvements for nature reserves are critical, they are not sufficient on their own. Effective governance and management structures, supported by robust legal frameworks and policies, are also essential to ensure the sustainability of these protected areas.

Ms. Jihan Seoud, Energy and Environment programme manager, representing Ms.Blerta Aliko, Resident Representative of UNDP Lebanon, stated that: “The environmental governance is essential in Lebanon, especially for the protection of its rich natural areas and its unique biodiversity. Through initiatives like Step4Nature, and with donors like the Government of Italy, and with the Ministry of Environment and its partners, we work to advance sustainable management practices of natural resources, align with global biodiversity commitments, and support the update of Lebanon's national strategy for protected areas”.

Within this context, and in addition to research and infrastructural improvements for nature reserves, UNDP is also working on enhancing the governance and management of protected areas in general and nature reserves in particular. This includes conducting detailed assessments and performance reviews of the existing mechanisms, proposing improvements, and proposing revisions to the legislation and policies to the Ministry of Environment. These efforts will support the update of the national strategy for protected areas, aiming to strengthen Lebanon’s governance structure and legal framework for nature reserves. 

This work aligns with Lebanon’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and contributes to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) by fostering sustainable management and enhanced governance of protected areas. It directly supports the achievement of the GBF Target 3, which emphasizes the effective conservation and management of 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.
 

The Protected Areas (PA) Framework Law 130/2019: An Overview

Adopted in 2019, the Protected Areas (PA) Framework Law 130/2019 defines four categories of protection: Nature Reserves (NR); Natural Sites (NS); Natural Parks and Himas, with a provision for any other protection category to be set and organized by virtue of a decree. Law 130/2019 also establishes the legal mechanism for declaring each of these four categories of protection, while detailing management issues in relation to Nature Reserves only. The law foresees a minimum of five application decrees and two ministerial decisions, none of which have been adopted to date.

This Law consisting of 23 articles aims at providing for the natural areas in Lebanon, through their prevention and protection, considered an essential pillar of rural development policy and ecotourism. The Law establishes the following objectives (i) protection of the components of biological diversity, especially those that are threatened, poor, rare, inclined or unique; (ii) reconstruction of the natural biodiversity landscape; (iii) ecosystems preservation; (iv) protection of birds, as well as both sedentary and migratory species; (v) preservation of landscapes and distinctive natural features. Protected areas are divided into four main categories (1) nature reserve; (2) natural park; (3) natural landmark sites; and (4) Hima (sites including a natural ecosystem and may incorporate another sustainable modified part, i.e., through the sustainable use of natural resources). The Law also distinguishes between (i) Nature reserves located on public property, established by a law defining the geographical scope of the reserve and the surrounding belt zone, in addition to the special rules for protection and (ii) Natural reserves located on private property, established after the written consent of all owners to the project, according to a contract between the Lebanese state represented by the person of the Minister of Environment and the owners, for a period of no less than twenty years renewable, in which is defined the geographical scope of the reserve and the surrounding belt zone and their management. A volunteer committee is established for each natural reserve, supervising the good management of the natural reserve and setting and implementing its annual financial budget. Each committee, in coordination with the working group, proposes a protected management plan for a period determined according to its characteristics. The plan is issued according to a decision issued by the Minister of Environment. Exceptionally, and without prejudice to the objectives of environmental protection, some activities in the natural reserve that are implemented within the framework of the concept of sustainable use can be permitted by a decision of the Minister of Environment based on the proposal of the reserve committee and in line with the management plan, based on an Environmental Impact Assessment or Initial Environmental Examination, wherever the Ministry of the Environment deems it necessary. The Ministry of Environment allocates a budget dedicated to the nature reserves. The various persons of public and private law, as well as local, regional and international associations, bodies and institutions, can contribute to financing natural reserves through donations, after the approval of the Council of Ministers.

For more information, please contact

In UNDP – Lebanon    | Maryam Sweid‎ | maryam.sweid@undp.org  | +961 ‎(71) 366 212‎
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UNDP is working in Lebanon since 1986 as a development partner supporting economic recovery, including working with municipalities to deliver basic services to host communities, promoting clean energy and solid waste management, strengthening governance and rule of law, providing support to elections, and working on empowering women and youth.