Reviving Lebanon's Rivers Through the Hima Model

Founded in 1983, SPNL pioneered the revival of Hima, a centuries-old Arab tradition of community-led conservation, to protect Lebanon's land and water resources. Its newest Hima, declared in the village of Baaloul in January 2026, safeguards roughly 500 residents and their commons in the upper basin of the Litani River, Lebanon's largest water system, buffering it against the pollution degrading downstream supply. SPNL also runs a dedicated project restoring the pollution-choked Upper Litani River and Qaraoun Lake, working with municipalities and the Litani River Authority on sustainable wastewater management and treated-water reuse for agriculture. Since establishing its first Hima in 2004, SPNL has grown the network to 44 community-protected sites across six regions of Lebanon.