Beirut, 3 July 2025 — The UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut hosted a three-day multi-stakeholder consultation from 1 to 3 July 2025 that brought together national authorities, international experts, and community actors to co-develop an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the Damour River Basin from Source to Sea. Held under the umbrella of the GEF UNEP/MAP MedProgramme, the consultation marked a pivotal moment in Lebanon’s efforts to promote sustainable water and coastal governance amid increasing environmental and developmental pressures.
The event was held in a hybrid format with simultaneous Arabic-English interpretation, ensuring inclusive participation across sectors and regions. It served as a platform to coordinate ongoing work on the Damour IMP with broader efforts in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), conjunctive management of surface and groundwater resources, and the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus—three pillars of integrated natural resource governance supported under the MedProgramme.
A High-Level Opening at UNESCO Beirut
The Opening Session, chaired by Eng. Mona Fakih, Director of Water at the Ministry of Energy and Water, featured remarks from:
- Mr. Paolo Fontani, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut and UNESCO Representative to Lebanon and Syria,
- Mr. Mohamad Kayyal, Management Officer at the UNEP/MAP MedProgramme Coordination Unit,
- Mr. Dimitris Faloutsos, Deputy Regional Coordinator at GWP-Med,
- Ms. Daria Povh Skugor, Director of PAP/RAC.
In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Fontani underscored the Beirut Office’s commitment to science-based, collaborative solutions that support Lebanon’s long-term water security and environmental resilience. He emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder platforms like this one in driving forward both national and regional frameworks. MP Dr. Najat Aoun, who represents the Damour area in Parliament, also intervened during the session to highlight the urgent challenges facing the Damour watershed, drawing on both her local stakeholder knowledge and professional expertise in environmental health and public policy.
The opening also featured presentations by leading experts from UNESCO, GWP-Med, PAP/RAC, and Plan Bleu, setting the stage for three days of intensive knowledge exchange and participatory planning.
Building a Shared Vision for the Damour River and Beyond
The first full day focused on the Damour watershed itself. The opening session presented preliminary findings from the IMP’s inception phase, including:
- A governance analysis by Raji Maasri (MORES sarl),
- A coastal and marine assessment by Dr. Manal Nader (University of Balamand),
This was followed by a highly interactive Climagine participatory workshop, designed to build a shared sustainability vision for the Damour area. Using innovative tools such as “business-as-usual” vs. “sustainability vision” scenario building, stakeholders from across sectors (agriculture, tourism, environment, waste, infrastructure, etc.) co-developed draft indicators and priority actions to guide the IMP.
In the afternoon, attention turned to Lebanon’s critical groundwater resources. Drawing on field data and hydrogeological analysis, UNESCO experts including Dr. Abbas Fayad, Dr. Nadim Farajalla, and Mr. Michel Frem presented key findings from the Damour coastal aquifer assessment and discussed conjunctive surface-groundwater management options. Participants then engaged in working groups to generate actionable recommendations for improving aquifer protection and resilience.
Regional Coordination and Coastal Integration
The third day shifted to the national scale, linking local lessons from Damour with efforts to advance integrated planning across Lebanon’s coastline. This included updates on the draft ICZM Strategy and Law, coordinated by the Ministry of Environment with support from PAP/RAC. A dedicated panel moderated by Dr. Manal Nader (University of Balamand) explored legal, spatial, and institutional challenges for coastal zone governance.
The event also delved deeper into the WEFE Nexus, drawing on GWP-Med’s country-level experience to highlight opportunities for cross-sectoral coordination and conflict resolution around natural resource trade-offs. “The integrated planning we’re promoting through the Damour IMP is just one part of a broader movement,” said Barbara Tomassini, GWP-Med Senior Programme Officer. “It’s about making sure that the way we manage water, food, energy, and ecosystems works not only within sectors but across them.”
Finally, participants engaged in a second Climagine visioning session, this time zooming out to assess sustainability scenarios for Lebanon’s entire coastal zone. Groups used data, stakeholder knowledge, and visual tools to define baseline conditions and co-develop indicators for coastal management. Discussions revolved around governance gaps, data availability, and institutional coordination mechanisms required to monitor and implement the forthcoming ICZM Strategy.
A Model for Integrated Planning in the Mediterranean
In closing the event, Dr. Georges Gharios (UNESCO Beirut) reiterated the importance of this consultation as a model of inclusive, evidence-based planning that could inform future interventions across Lebanon and the wider Mediterranean.
“The Damour case is not just about one river or one municipality,” Gharios said. “It’s about piloting a framework for sustainable territorial development—where science, policy, and communities work hand-in-hand.”
The consultation concluded with a collective commitment to take the insights, indicators, and priorities developed over the three days and translate them into concrete actions, starting with the finalization of the Damour Integrated Management Plan in the coming months.
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For more information, contact:
UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut
Natural Sciences Sector
unesco.org/beirut
