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Beirut — The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) announced that the Lebanese Minister of Environment, Tamara Elzein, has officially expressed the Ministry’s endorsement and support for SPNL’s project proposal submitted under the International Climate Initiative (IKI), aimed at operationalizing the Beirut River Valley Biosphere Reserve through a Hima-based approach.

The announcement was published in Al Hima Magazine, the environmental magazine issued by SPNL, which highlighted key excerpts from the Minister’s official letter of endorsement.

In her letter, Minister Elzein stated:

“The Ministry of Environment hereby expresses its endorsement and support for the project proposal submitted by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) under the International Climate Initiative (IKI).”

The Minister emphasized that the Ministry recognizes the project’s practical and context-responsive methodology, particularly its reliance on the Hima approach as a community-based conservation model.

She noted:

“The Ministry acknowledges the project’s pragmatic and context-responsive approach, which operationalizes conservation and management actions through Himas at the local level and coordination under the Biosphere Reserve framework, while supporting in parallel the adoption of legal and governance conditions for the future establishment of Natural Parks.”

The letter also underscored SPNL’s extensive experience in biodiversity conservation and participatory environmental governance, acknowledging the organization’s role in fostering cooperation among municipalities, civil society organizations, and local stakeholders.

Minister Elzein further stated:

“The Ministry further recognizes SPNL’s long-standing experience and technical capacity in biodiversity conservation, community-based governance, and stakeholder engagement, as well as the project’s strong collaboration with municipalities, the Union of Municipalities, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders.”

Reaffirming the Ministry’s readiness to cooperate throughout the project’s implementation phase, the Minister added:

“The Ministry of Environment confirms its willingness to cooperate and coordinate, within its mandate, with the project implementation, particularly on matters related to policy dialogue, governance frameworks, biodiversity planning, and knowledge exchange.”

The initiative is viewed as a significant step toward strengthening integrated landscape conservation in Lebanon through locally driven environmental governance models rooted in the traditional Hima system, while advancing the long-term vision for the Beirut River Valley Biosphere Reserve.

The excerpts were published by Al Hima Magazine, issued by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon.