DIMFE 2026 call: NGOs, local authorities and scientific institutions in the Mediterranean basin can apply for €100,000 to €500,000 by 15 October 2026.

DIMFE 2026 call: NGOs, local authorities and scientific institutions in the Mediterranean basin can apply for €100,000 to €500,000 by 15 October 2026.

HHIC Leads Major Planting Event on the Litani River Basin Under the DIMFE Project Under the DIMFE project, the Homat Al Hima International Center (HHIC) of SPNL organized a large-scale planting event along the Litani River Basin in collaboration with the Litani River Authority (LRA), the Lebanese Reforestation Initiative (LRI), and Kon Fares organization. This landmark event is part of a long-term effort to rehabilitate the entire Litani River Basin and strengthen community-based environmental stewardship in the West Bekaa. The activity took place in the presence of the President of the Union of Lake Municipalities…

Between 23 July and 23 August 2025, SPNL’s Homat Al Hima International Center (HHIC), under the leadership of Wassim El Khatib, focused on advancing two major initiatives: the BioConnect traveling exhibition and the DIMFE freshwater ecosystem restoration project. Both efforts underscore SPNL’s holistic approach—raising awareness, fostering community participation, and tackling pollution at its source. BioConnect: Taking Conservation on the Road One of the month’s highlights was the traveling exhibition, developed with BioConnect partners, to promote biodiversity awareness across Lebanon. Over three months, the exhibition will visit 10 municipalities, creating space for dialogue on the value of biodiversity and its benefits for local communities.

Between July 25 and August 25, 2025, SPNL advanced a wide range of projects that strengthen biodiversity conservation, empower local communities, and address pressing environmental challenges. Much of this progress was driven by the efforts of Fatima Hayek, whose coordination across multiple initiatives reflects SPNL’s holistic approach to conservation. From the Bekaa Valley to the Beirut River Basin, this month’s activities underscore the organization’s role as a leader in reviving the Hima model while tackling modern environmental threats. Strengthening Climate Resilience through Al Murunah Fatima played a central role in reviewing and addressing consultant comments on Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) for…

As part of the “Reviving the Upper Litani River and Qaraoun Lake” project, funded by DIMFE, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) held a coordination meeting with municipalities that have declared Himas within the project area — Lala, Qaraoun, Saghbine, Kefraya, Mansoura, Kherbet Qanafar, and Ain Zebdeh — alongside Ammiq municipality. The meeting provided a crucial platform to reaffirm the Hima concept as a community-based model for managing natural resources sustainably, while also introducing participating municipalities to SPNL’s environmental programs designed to support their local sustainability goals.

Restoring Freshwater Ecosystems and Introducing Hima Governance in the Upper Litani Basin As part of the newly launched project “Sustainable Water Ecosystems Restoration: Reviving the Upper Litani River and Qaraaoun Lake”, a field team from the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) conducted a series of strategic meetings and site visits across the West Bekaa region to kick off stakeholder engagement and assess conditions on the ground. The field team—comprising Fatima Hayek, Wassim Khatib, and Miryam Salloum—initiated discussions with key local partners to present the project’s scope, objectives, and collaborative mechanisms for ecological restoration and pollution mitigation.

Water resource management is one of the major issues of the 21st century. In order to respond to the challenges that impact freshwater ecosystems, the Donors' Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE) was created in 2021; a funders collaborative, dedicated to the conservation and re

As wetlands take center stage in global discussions at the #RamsarCOP15, the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco has announced the launch of the 2025 Call for Projects under the Donors’ Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE). This open call aims to fund impactful conservation and restoration efforts for freshwater ecosystems ac

As wetlands take center stage in global discussions at the #RamsarCOP15, the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco has announced the launch of the 2025 Call for Projects under the Donors’ Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE). This open call aims to fund impactful conservation and restoration efforts for freshwater ecosystems ac

Water resource management is one of the major issues of the 21st century. In order to respond to the challenges that impact freshwater ecosystems, the Donors' Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater E...

March 2026 marked a dynamic and multi-layered phase of work across environmental and conservation initiatives in Lebanon, with strong momentum observed in field engagement, technical coordination, and proposal development. Across projects including DIMFE, SDC, BioConnect, Muruna, and PROZHUM, efforts converged toward a shared goal: restoring ecosystems, strengthening local governance, and advancing sustainable environmental solutions. Field Engagement Driving Local Impact At the heart of this month’s progress was intensified engagement with municipalities and local stakeholders, particularly in West Bekaa and Mount Lebanon. Multiple coordination meetings were held with municipal leaders to introduce ongoing projects, align priorities, and build local ownership.

As part of the “Reviving the Upper Litani River and Qaraoun Lake” project funded by DIMFE, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) has launched a new practical measure to improve waste management practices across the West Bekaa. In a significant step toward source-level pollution reduction, SPNL has distributed dedicated waste cooking oil collection barrels to ten municipalities: Saghbine, Kefraya, Joub Jannine, Ain Zebdeh, Kherbet Qanafar, Qaraoun, Mansoura, Lala, Aana, and Beb Mareh. This intervention supports local authorities in shifting toward cleaner, safer, and more sustainable disposal methods.

Strengthening Lebanon’s Nature Network: Field Highlights from September – October 2025 October 2025 unfolded as a month of remarkable coordination across Lebanon’s Hima network, reflecting SPNL’s integrated vision of conservation, community, and connectivity. From mountain ridges alive with raptor migration to wetland basins where data collection deepened ecological understanding, the Society’s field and technical teams advanced multiple projects under the BioConnect, DIMFE, SDC, Al Murunah, and related frameworks. Watching the Skies and Wetlands Field ornithologist Chadi Saad spent the season tracing the autumn migration from Anahita Raptor Viewpoint…

In the fertile heart of Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, the Litani River and Qaraoun Lake have long sustained communities, agriculture, and biodiversity. Yet decades of pollution and mismanagement have threatened their future. Today, under the project “Towards Reviving the Upper Litani River and Qaraoun Lake”, funded by DIMFE, a new chapter is being written—one that places collaboration, science, and community at the center. A Journey of Engagement The project team set out on a full-day field mission to strengthen bonds with the people and institutions who shape the fate of the river and its watershed.

Project Overview Duration: 17 months (June 2025 – November 2026) Donor: Donors' Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems (DIMFE) Target Area: West Bekaa (Upper Litani and Qaraoun Lake) Villages Involved: Mansoura (Hima), Ghazze, Joub Jannine, Aana, Tal Dnoub, Kifrayya (Hima), Kherbet Qanafar (Hima), Lala, Ain Zebdeh (Hima), Baaloul, Saghbine, Beb Mereh, Aaitanit (Hima), and Quaraoun (Hima) Overview: The project aims to restore the ecological health of Lebanon's freshwater ecosystems, primarily focusing on the Litani River and Qaraoun Lake in the West Bekaa region. These vital water bodies have suffered from severe pollution, endangering aquatic life and local communities.