A new natural reserve will open in Kantara - South Lebanon, on March 19. The reserve borders the towns of Nabatieh from the north, Marjayoun from the west, and Bint Jbeil from the south. It has a total area of 16,000,000 square meters.

Ali Zein, Head of the Union of the Municipalities of Jabal Amel, said: “The reserve passes through 21 villages.” He said the reserve is expected to encourage environmental and religious tourism in the area.

As part of a yearly forestation plan, the Jabal Amel municipalities planted 5,000 trees inside the reserve and restored a rivulet in the area. Some municipalities held firefighting drills for local residents. Zein said: “We are planning to expand the drills to include all 16 villages of the union.”

The Union of the Municipalities of Jabal Amel plans to conduct a study on the reserve’s biodiversity in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment. A committee in charge of the Kantara reserve submitted several recommendations, among which is raising funds to remove cluster bombs and demark borders.