Evaluating the relationship between the Horsh Ehden nature reserve and the small businesses adjacent to it, and how they both impact each other

Abstract

The local communitys use of natural resources may lead to these resources overexploitation if they are mismanaged. Activities permitting individuals to live in Community Nature Reserves to use their resources sustainably have been created on the idea that the joining of local communities needs into management profits for protection objectives. Both, the protected area and the local community could impact each other in positive and negative ways. The purpose of the present study is to investigate how these groups are impacting one another in the case of the Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve (HENR) in Lebanon. Two questionnaires were formed: one was asked to the local small tourism businesses in Ehden and the other one was asked to the HENR Management Teams. Results revealed that the local community is in general supportive of the reserve; however, there were conflicts present between the reserve and the businesses situated at its entrances possibly due to miscommunication resulting from personal or other reasons. Furthermore, the negative impacts of the community on HENR are decreasing except for recreation and agriculture, and hunting that is still frequently happening. Meanwhile, the positive impacts are also increasing and signaling the increase of support towards the reserve. It was also found that the reserve is not helping the community be more aware of it and that it is not providing any markets for their value-added local products and that the locals are not completely involved the management. It is recommended to increase community awareness, provide more job opportunities for the locals and take measures to decrease the negative effects of the community on HENR. More investigation should be done on this relationship between the reserve and all the community.