Al-Shouf Cedar

Government legislation Law No. 532 of 24 July 1996 declared “The communal lands of Niha, Jba’a, Mrousti, Khraibe, Maasser, Barouk, Bmohreh, Ain Dara, Ain Zhalta villages, in addition to the government owned lands on the eastern side of Barouk Mountain” a Nature Reserve.

In July 2005, UNESCO declared it a “Biosphere Reserve” called the Shouf Biosphere Reserve (SBR) with an area of approximately 50,000 hectares – or 5% of the total area of Lebanon. It includes in addition to the Al-Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, the 22 surrounding villages and the Ammiq Wetland, a Ramsar site and one of the last remaining wetlands in the Middle East.

It is under the authority of the Lebanese Ministry of Environment (MOE), which manages it through the Appointed Protected Area Committee (APAC) that includes among its members the Al-Shouf Cedar Society (ACS), the mayors of the larger villages, and independent environment experts.

The Shouf Biosphere Reserve is home to 1054 identified plant species distributed over 111 families. They include 25 internationally and nationally threatened species, 48 endemic to Lebanon (Lebanon/Syria/Turkey), 14 rare species, and 214 restricted to the Eastern Mediterranean/Middle East area.

It is also one of the last remaining areas in Lebanon where larger mammals that once roamed the region can still be found, such as the wolf, wild boar and wild cat, and in a few years the Nubian Ibex and many others. 250 bird species have been recorded, knowing that that the wetland is a Ramsar site and Important Bird Area. It also is home 31 reptile species, including chameleon, tortoise, and several species of snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads.

As for the locals, living in the surrounding villages, they have able to preserve Lebanese culture and traditions through 70 different products involving mainly women. They also host international and domestic tourists and give them the ‘flair’ of region in guesthouses in Barouk, Maasser El Shouf, Khreibeh, Baadarane and Niha.  They are well connected to the reserve, and are part of the ecotourism activities either as guides and rangers or through hosting visitors and inviting them to savor their traditional products.

Contact Details

Shouf Biosphere Reserve

Park House, Maasser El Shouf

Mount Lebanon, Lebanon

Tel: +961 5 350 250/ 150

E-mail: info@shoufcedar.org

www.shoufcedar.org