Participatory Governance and Sustainable Hunting: The Lebanese Hima Model at the IUCN Green List Workshop

Ghadi News

On 16 February, Andre Bechara represented the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) at the “Sustainable Hunting and Green List Certification Workshop,” organized by the Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The workshop was hosted by the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Advancing Science-Based Governance for Sustainable Hunting

The workshop convened protected area managers, policymakers, and conservation practitioners to examine governance frameworks for sustainable hunting and to explore pathways toward achieving the IUCN Green List Standard. The Green List represents a global benchmark for effective and equitable management of protected and conserved areas, structured around four core components: good governance, sound design and planning, effective management, and successful conservation outcomes.

Technical sessions focused on regulatory enforcement mechanisms, science-based ecological monitoring systems, stakeholder participation models, and adaptive management approaches grounded in measurable performance indicators and evidence-based decision-making.

Case Study: Illegal Hunting in Lebanon

During the workshop, Bechara delivered an analytical case study addressing illegal hunting in Lebanon. He outlined the historical scale of poaching pressures on migratory birds along the Afro–Eurasian flyway, as well as on terrestrial wildlife. The presentation underscored structural challenges, including enforcement gaps, limited deterrence capacity, insufficient compliance monitoring, and weak community ownership—factors that historically undermined conservation effectiveness.

He emphasized that enforcement-centered approaches, while necessary, have proven insufficient when not supported by social legitimacy, behavioral change strategies, and participatory governance frameworks.

Reviving the Hima System: From Traditional Stewardship to Modern Co-Management

SPNL’s strategic response has centered on the revitalization of the Hima system—an indigenous, community-based conservation model rooted in customary stewardship principles. Reframed within a contemporary governance context, the Hima model promotes shared responsibility between local communities, municipalities, civil society, and state institutions.

Through the “Homat Al Hima” (Guardians of the Hima) approach, SPNL implemented an integrated governance framework combining:

Structured advocacy campaigns grounded in scientific evidence to strengthen hunting legislation and public awareness;

Institutional coordination with anti-poaching units of the Internal Security Forces (ISF);

Community ranger networks and volunteer-based ecological monitoring systems;

Municipal engagement to formalize local conservation bylaws and co-management mechanisms;

Education and youth mobilization programs aimed at transforming social norms surrounding hunting practices.

Measurable Impact and Governance Innovation

Bechara highlighted that this integrated model—linking civil society, law enforcement authorities, and local communities—has contributed to a measurable decline in illegal hunting levels across several priority landscapes in Lebanon. The case study demonstrated that durable conservation outcomes depend on strengthening accountability mechanisms, fostering local ownership, and embedding conservation responsibilities within community governance structures.

He further stressed that the Hima model offers a replicable and scalable framework for the West Asia region, particularly for protected areas seeking IUCN Green List certification. By transitioning from externally imposed control systems to participatory co-management regimes, protected areas can enhance compliance, legitimacy, and long-term ecological resilience.

Regional Knowledge Exchange

The workshop provided a valuable platform for cross-country learning between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, especially in light of the Kingdom’s expanding protected area network under national reserve authorities. Discussions reinforced the importance of hybrid governance systems that integrate traditional conservation practices, modern regulatory enforcement, and performance-based evaluation aligned with international standards.

SPNL’s participation reaffirmed that science-based, participatory governance models are essential to advancing sustainable hunting frameworks and achieving internationally recognized conservation excellence.