Biodiversity and Forests

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5.4.3 Protected Areas System
MOE is today the lead government agency
responsible for protected area management
in Lebanon. Article 23 of Law 690/2005
mandates MOE to determine candidate areas
for establishing protected areas (PA) and criteria
for PA designation, and propose necessary laws
and regulation for PA management. See analysis
of draft laws and regulations related to protected
areas prepared under the EU-funded SISPAM
project in Section 5.5.2. Lebanon today has 10
legally established nature reserves (Table 5.5)
covering 2.2 percent of the territory (up from two
nature reserves in 1992 covering just 15 km 2 ). In
addition to these nature reserves, the number of
other types of protected areas has also increased
including three biosphere reserves (measuring
414 Km 2 , almost 4% of the territory), 13 protected
forests, 16 protected natural sites/landscapes,
four Ramsar sites, five World Heritage Sites and
15 IBAs. Some of the sites and nature reserves
have acquired one or more international
designations. With the exception of formal
nature reserves and biosphere reserves, all other
protected areas urgently need mechanisms for
proper management and monitoring –see full
list of nature reserves in Table 5.5 and locations in
Map 3.
Credit: N. Hani
Shouf Biosphere Reserve in the spring, one of three biospheres in Lebanon
State and Trends of the Lebanese Environment | 2010
The management and operation of protected
areas including nature reserves is today a shared
responsibility between MOE, the Appointed
Protected Areas Committee (APAC), and the
management teams in the field. The creation
of APACs has brought together key players
and actors under one body, including local
NGOs, municipalities, conservationists and
scientists. MOE has been providing significant
guidance to APACs and management teams
including training (management plans, resource
mobilization, biodiversity monitoring, visitor
management and carrying capacity), and EIA
reviews related to small-scale tourism activities.
Unfortunately, the APAC is not an organization
that is duly registered and recognized by the
GOL and therefore it has no legal identity. This
means that APACs cannot hire staff and sign
contracts and agreements (other than with
MOE). Management teams therefore cannot
enrol with the National Fund for Social Security
to receive social benefits (health insurance,
family allowance and end-of-service indemnity),
unless they are hired by a local NGO or any other
legal entity including universities and research
institutions. This is the case in Al-Shouf Cedars,
Horsh Ehden, Palm Islands, and Tyre Coast which
all face similar difficulties and have setup interim
arrangements to resolve the legal hold-up.