BioConnect

Ensuring effective management and governance in Sites of Ecological Importance and expanding biodiversity protection in Southern Lebanon

Project summary

This 45-month project is a joint effort between 4 Lebanese partners working together towards enhancing the management and governance of sites of ecological importance as well as creating new Protected Areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) for broader landscape conservation and connectivity. These main objectives will be achieved by abating the main pressures on key biodiversity, enforcing legislation, effectively managing existing sites and designating new ones while supporting local communities. Improved status of biodiversity and human wellbeing are the major expected outcomes of the project.

Our role

The ETC-UMA team is supporting the project leader and partners in the planning, monitoring and evaluation tasks of this initiative, in particular:

Providing guidance and support towards an effective preparation and implementation of project activities,
Promoting coordination across the partners and stakeholders engaged in BioConnect related actions,
Supporting a common vision and outreach communications to make the project activities more visible,
Assisting in the production of contents and channels to disseminate the projects’ results.

Main outputs

Biodiversity conservation through the development and implementation of monitoring schemes and protocols for fauna and flora to enhance knowledge in targeted areas

Traditional practices empowerment through the promotion of Himas and technical support for farmers to better agricultural practices.

Education and Capacity Building for local communities, Hima sites and ecotourism

Climate change mitigation and adaptation through the development of a Framework for ecosystem-based climate change mitigation and adaptation for Protected Areas to increase the resilience of Protected Areas in Lebanon

Policy making and advocacy through the engagement of municipalities to protect biodiversity and ensure a sustainable use of resources related to hunting, farming, and fishing

More about it

Dania Abdul Malak

Project Coordination

daniaabdulmalak@uma.es

Dania Abdul Malak is a senior environmental researcher and Director of the European Topic Centre at the University of Malaga (ETC-UMA). She has over 15 years’ experience in environmental assessment and management...

David Rodríguez Rodríguez

Territorial sustainability assessment - Protected areas

davidrr@uma.es

David Rodríguez Rodríguez holds a European-mention PhD in Conservation Biology, an MSc in Ecological Restoration, two BScs: in Biology and in Environmental Sciences, and one University Specialist Degree in GIS and Remote Sensing...

Al Shouf Cedar Society (ACS)

Association for Community and Environment (ACE)

Association for the Development of Rural Capacities (ADR)

Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL)

Project website

#EUBioConnect4Lebanon

Funded by the European Union

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