October 9, 2026
A circulating organizational map, attributed to the Ministry of Environment, sparked a wide wave of objections in the town of Ehden, after it included a proposal to reduce the area of the “Ehden Forest Natural Reserve” from 1,700 hectares to 1,410 hectares. This proposal prompted the municipality of Zgharta-Ehden and the administration of the reserve to announce their categorical rejection, and to emphasize adherence to the current legal borders in full without any decrease.
In this context, the municipality of Zgharta-Ehden expressed its strong protest against the proposed map, noting that the reserve was established under a law approved by the House of Representatives on March 9, 1992, and represents a national environmental value and an essential element of the region’s identity. The municipality stressed that any administrative or regulatory treatment should not be at the expense of the area of the reserve or the scope of its protection, stressing that its position is completely consistent with the management of the reserve, which rejects the reduction.
The municipality expressed its full readiness for cooperation and constructive dialogue with the Ministry of Environment and the concerned authorities to address any regulatory observations, provided that the current borders are not disturbed, considering that preserving the forest remains a shared responsibility. She pointed out that the mayor and head of the reserve committee, Engineer Piaro Zakhia Al-Duwaihy, is personally following up on the file, and is making the necessary contacts to prevent the passing of any decision that would lead to reducing the area.
For its part, the administration of the Ehden Forest Reserve explained that the map circulated is nothing more than a “draft proposal” leaked from the corridors of the Ministry of Environment, and the opinions of the Ehden Municipality, the Reserve Committee, or the administrative work team were not sought in it.
The administration confirmed, following a review by Environment Minister Tamara Al-Zein, that this proposal lacks any legal status, as it was not approved by the Council of Ministers or ratified by the House of Representatives, in addition to the Minister’s failure to adhere to it. The administration also denied the existence of any demographic, sectarian, or regional dimensions behind the map, rejecting rumors linking it to tourism or construction projects due to their lack of accuracy and validity.
The reserve’s administration called for treating the proposed map as “just ink on paper,” and to adhere exclusively to the maps in force since the forest was declared protected under Law No. 121. These developments coincide with the escalation of popular and official interest in protecting natural reserves in Lebanon, amid growing concerns about any administrative amendments that might threaten the green spaces and environmental functions of the most prominent natural sites in the north of the country.
