Introduction

A protected area is "a geographically defined area which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives" - CBD definition - Hence, protected areas form the cornerstones of national and international conservation strategies by acting as refuges for species and providing space for natural evolution and future ecological restoration.

Protected areas also provide opportunities for rural development and the rational use of marginal lands, generating income and creating jobs for research and monitoring, for conservation education, and for recreation and eco-tourism.

In face of the current problems of climate change, escalating pollution, deforestation and desertification and their devastating consequences on the earth’s ecosystems thus indirectly on the human life,  the establishment and management of protected areas is gaining support as one strategy for the management of lessening and adapting to the impacts of these rapid changes.

Lebanon, being blessed with a diverse climate and typology, ranging from the subtropical coastline to the snow-covered mountains enclosing an array of ecosystems, has a duty and necessity to conserve these gifts.

From the coastline, wetlands, islands, rivers, and forest ecosystems to the mountainous and rural ecosystems and natural landscapes, unknown to most Lebanese is the diversity of all form of living species, the beauty of the landscape, the value of the cultural resources, and the importance of healthy, un-fragmented, un-degraded ecosystems.

Recognizing the importance of its ecosystems’ diversity and appreciating the value these ecosystems embrace to the economy, culture, tourism and quality of life in the country, Lebanon now features more that 25 Protected Areas with legal status which owe their existence to the persevere lobbying of Ministries, Municipalities, NGOs, local communities, experts and environmentalists.

The most significant achievements of the Ministry of Environment has been its commitment to address many of the ecological, legal, cultural, educational and economic problems in and around protected areas that lead to the destruction and degradation of biodiversity in Lebanon. Accordingly, there seems to be a visible increase in the vegetative cover and in the recorded sightings of mammals, birds and reptiles. There is also a rising public demand to visit the protected areas as measured by arrivals at the entrances of these areas.