This article is part of an extensive storytelling series delving into Lebanon’s gems, best practices, successes, and unique features with a special focus on environmental issues and protection. The series strives to portray Lebanon through the lens of its places and people.
Home to a rich array of plant and animal life, wetlands stand as one of Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems, covering approximately 6% of the planet’s surface. On a global scale, these habitats offer a spectrum of benefits, ranging from freshwater and food supply to flood control, water filtration, groundwater recharge, and climate change mitigation. Despite their paramount importance, wetlands face a concerning decline worldwide, prompting urgent action.
We drove around Lebanon to discover some of the natural wonders safeguarded under the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Our first stop was the Ammiq Wetland in the Beqaa Valley, a private expanse owned by the Skaff family, who initiated the conservation process for the area in 1997, in the aftermath of the Lebanese Civil War.
Ammiq stands as Lebanon’s largest remaining freshwater wetland, generated from two natural underground flows and a mountain spring. “Despite the flows, the wetlands used to dry between July and January every year,” says Abdallah Hanna, General Manager of Skaff Estate Ammiq.
In 2014, the Skaff family initiated a transformative intervention, building a dam after a series of assessment studies conducted in the area. The system ensured a year-round supply of water, attracting new bird species during their cross-country migrations. “Since then, the overall biodiversity of flora and fauna has increased by 10 or 15 species,” he explains. The water collected replaces the one used in irrigation, limiting the consumption at the lowest.
According to Hanna, environmental stewardship is paramount at Ammiq. The site, encompassed by 2,000 hectares of agricultural land, adheres to European standards, emphasizing the use of natural fertilizers and avoiding those banned in the European Union. “Last year, we introduced crops requiring minimal water. Sensors regulate water usage, ensuring precise amounts for each crop,” Hanna says.
The levees of the dam later became a 4.8km trail that runs around the area, providing safe paths for eco-tourists and birdwatchers. According to the management, the success of the initiative has positioned the Ammiq site as a model for reserves in the region and in Europe.
As a privately funded initiative, the Ammiq Wetland sustains itself through the Skaff family’s extensive agricultural production. Their 2016 venture into eco-tourism resulted in multiple trails, yet nature remains the priority. “Preserving the quietude of the ecosystem and its species is vital; we limit visitor numbers accordingly,” states Hanna, stressing the delicate balance between conservation and sustainable land use at Ammiq Wetland.
As we drive North, a new testament to environmental stewardship is found: The public Palm Island reserve of Tripoli. “We started protecting the three-island reserve with the help of civil society and NGOs in 1991” said Amer Haddad, President of Palm Islands Nature Reserve Committee. “It was the first natural reserve in Lebanon”, he added proudly.
Designated “Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance” in 2012, the reserve consists of three islands made up of eroded limestone and the surrounding sea, spanning an area of 4.2 square kilometers offshore the coast of Tripoli. According to the reserve’s management, Palm Islands is home to wild species, and serves as a sanctuary for over 160 bird species, including endangered ones.
“After the Israeli occupation, the army was tasked with clearing the area from bombings before opening the site to the public in 1998” Haddad explained. The main island of the reserve is known as ‘Rabbit Island’, a nod to its history: “French rabbits roamed the island in the mid-1900s, but the presence of rabbits is now monitored to preserve the biodiversity,” he said.
The 2021 management plan, to foster the reserve’s potential, relies on NGOs and public funds. However, due to the severe economic crisis and the devaluation of the Lebanese pound, the implementation of such plan advances slowly. “Moreover, what was once a half a million-dollar project might now require more resources to progress”, Haddad pointed out. Among the initiatives, is the transformation of a building into a museum and a research hub dedicated to the site’s rich fauna and flora, both marine and terrestrial.
The capacity of such habitats of storing carbon in their soils accentuates their significance. As both Hanna and Haddad highlighted, preserving and restoring wetlands in Lebanon assume not only a national, but a global relevance. Worldwide wetlands help reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating the impact of climate change.
Article: Agnese Stracquadanio and Debora Vezzoli
Photos: Agnese Stracquadanio
via Donatello 5 B
