The SBR serves as a pilot site for promoting conservation of nature, sustainable development, mitigation of climate change, preservation of water catchment areas, and protection of scenic area by controlling development, tourist facilities and clean roads. The SBR has joined forces with the municipalities of the region to improve the income generating capacity of the area without causing irreversible harm to its natural resources.
A biosphere reserve where protection of human health, wealth, and the environment are overarching goals - where boundaries are delineated, land-use regulations enforced, climate change mitigated, ecosystem services maximized, biodiversity conserved and natural resources protected.
There Are Many Tourist Destinations in This Area
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The Cedars Forever program was developed to ensure the continuity of the Cedar – a species in danger of extinction.
In order to restore Lebanon’s mountains to their original glory, Cedars Forever is setting out to plant trees in Lebanon
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The Shouf Biosphere Reserve lies at an altitude ranging from 1200-1980 meters. It is located along a mountain range comprising the Barouk and Niha Mountains, which is a southern extension of the Mount Lebanon Range. The range runs parallel to the Mediterranean coast. The Beirut-Damascus highway and the town of Jezzine define the north and south borders of the reserve. The western slopes of the range face the Shouf region; the eastern slopes face Mount Hermon and form the western escarpment of the Beqaa Valley.
The SBR includes, and is bounded by, twenty two villages: Niha, Jbaa, Mrousti, El Khraibe, Baadaran, Maasser el Chouf, Batloun, Barouk, Ain Zhalta, Bmohray, Ain Dara, Qab Elias, El Safra, Ammiq, Aana, Kefraya, Kherbit Kanafar, Ain Zebde, Saghbine, Bab Mareaa, Aitanit and Machghara. It also includes two protected areas, Al-Shouf Cedar Reserve and Ammiq Wetland, that are fast becoming a major natural attraction for Lebanon and the region.
In July 2005, UNESCO declared the Shouf Biosphere Reserve (SBR), a protected area of approximately 50,000 hectare – or 5% of the total area of Lebanon.
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