Lebanon has finalized its National Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Strategy, providing a strategic framework to protect its coastal and marine resources, strengthen climate resilience and support more sustainable development along the country’s coastline.
Lebanon’s approximately 220-kilometre coastline is a vital national asset, concentrating population, infrastructure, economic activity and natural resources. Yet the coastal zone faces growing pressures from uncoordinated development, pollution, environmental degradation, infrastructure deficits, fragmented governance, and climate change. Rising temperatures, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, prolonged droughts and saltwater intrusion are increasing risks for ecosystems, communities and coastal livelihoods.
Lebanon’s Coast: Rich in Natural and Cultural Heritage, Facing Growing Pressures.
Photo by Ante Ivcevic
Developed with support from the GEF-funded Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme), the National ICZM Strategy provides a long-term framework for coordinated management of Lebanon’s coastal zone. It seeks to balance environmental protection, economic development and social well-being through science-based, ecosystem-based and participatory approaches, while strengthening resilience to climate change and reducing pressures from unplanned development.
The Strategy is structured around six strategic objectives: governance and legal integration; environment and biodiversity protection; climate adaptation and resilience; socio-economic sustainability; social equity and participation; and integrated spatial planning. Together, these objectives provide a pathway towards a coastal zone where healthy marine and coastal ecosystems, resilient communities and sustainable economic activities can coexist.
A central priority is to strengthen Lebanon’s institutional and legal framework for coastal management. The Strategy calls for stronger coordination among ministries and local authorities, clearer institutional mandates, improved enforcement and the establishment of a national ICZM governance framework. It is closely linked to the Draft ICZM Law, which would establish national planning and governance mechanisms, strengthen protection of the Maritime Public Domain, safeguard ecosystems and public access, and introduce monitoring systems, environmental assessment and climate risk response.
Lebanon’s ICZM Strategy: cover photo of the summary document
Lebanon’s ICZM Strategy: cover photo of the summary document
Climate adaptation and resilience are also at the heart of the Strategy. Measures include comprehensive coastal climate-risk and vulnerability assessments, integration of adaptation into ICZM, marine spatial planning, stronger early-warning systems, and the promotion of ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions. The Strategy also recognizes the importance of strengthening awareness, capacity building and behavioral change to respond to a changing climate.
Protecting ecosystems and reducing pollution are equally important. The Strategy promotes improved coastal and marine monitoring, sustainable fisheries, stronger water-resource protection, reduced marine pollution and better waste management, alongside the conservation and restoration of critical and climate-sensitive ecosystems. These measures are intended not only to protect biodiversity, but also to safeguard ecosystem services and the livelihoods and well-being of coastal communities.
The preparation of the Strategy was itself an inclusive process, building on earlier initiatives such as the Coastal Area Management Programme (CAMP) and the 2015 draft ICZM Strategy. It was coordinated with the support of Priority Actions Programme / Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC) of UN Environment Programme / Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP), and in collaboration with international partners including Plan Blue/RAC, Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme. The process involved three national stakeholder workshops held between July 2025 and February 2026. Government institutions, local authorities, academia, NGOs and international organizations contributed to identifying priorities and refining the strategic objectives and measures. Multi-stakeholder consultations form the backbone not only of Lebanon’s National ICZM Strategy, but also of the ICZM Law and the Integrated Management Plan for the Damour Area, all of which were developed within the framework of the MedProgramme.
Photo by Ante Ivcevic.
The process also benefited from experience across the Mediterranean, particularly from ICZM work on a subnational level in Morocco and Montenegro, demonstrating the value of regional cooperation and knowledge exchange under the UNEP/MAP - Barcelona Convention framework.
With the ICZM Strategy and Law now finalized and in a formal administrative procedure with the Ministry of Environment, Lebanon has an important foundation for moving from planning towards implementation. The next challenge will be to translate the strategic priorities into coordinated action, supported by sustained political commitment, institutional cooperation, and adaptive management. If fully operationalized, the Strategy can help safeguard Lebanon’s coastal and marine resources while strengthening the resilience and well-being of coastal communities for generations to come.
ICZM Strategy is an instrument for sustainable coastal development
Photo by Ante Ivcevic
About the project
The GEF MedProgramme is a multi-focal regional initiative coordinated by UNEP/MAP and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The programme supports Mediterranean countries in addressing major environmental challenges affecting coastal and marine ecosystems through integrated approaches to pollution reduction, biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and sustainable coastal management. Lebanon’s ICZM Strategy contributes to this regional effort by providing a framework for more resilient and sustainable management of the country’s coastal zone.
For more information, please contact: Ante Ivcevic, Programme Officer, ante.ivcevic@paprac.org
Related content
PAP/RAC (2026) “Lebanon – Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategy - Summary”, GEF MedProgramme, Split. Lebanon-ICZM-Strategy-Summary.pdf
Words by Ante Ivčević.
Thumbnail photo by Ramy Kabalan / Unsplash