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It is in the Lebanese village of Becharré, gathered around a long oak table overlooking the holy Qadisha valley, that young hikers are sharing a meal in a guest house under a burning July sun. Lively and joyful, their discussions focus on the hike they started early morning in this valley of northern Lebanon, and of which they are trying to unravel all the secrets. The young university students, all locals from the region and neighboring villages, are taking part for several days in a training course organized by the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut. It aims to train tourist guides on accompanying hikers in the heart of the valley, through three historic trails recently rehabilitated by UNESCO and which allows visitors to discover the site through different access points.

The Qadisha Valley indeed contains centuries of history linked to the first days of Christianity in the world. Cited in the Scriptures, it offers extraordinary landscapes and has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1998. To this day, UNESCO works to conserve the site and develop it, through initiatives around its steep paths, its monasteries and its cultural heritage. “This valley is of particular importance for UNESCO in the region,” explains Joseph Kreidi, Culture Program Specialist at UNESCO Beirut. It is important for us to preserve and conserve this site, its soul and its authenticity, while enhancing it so that it remains a living destination. This is how we chose, with the support of Italy, to rehabilitate three paths, two of which lead to two extremely important monasteries which we have also rehabilitated. The ultimate goal is to create a positive economic impact for local communities, hence the need to train these young students to become tourist guides in Qadisha. »

The training offered by the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) thus includes sessions on the history of the valley, the neighboring Cedar Forest, the importance of inscription on the world heritage list, first aid guidelines, equipment, GPS mapping techniques or even climate change. Classes take place in the forest or at the guest house managed by Hani Rahmé, the owner, who happily observes the group. “It gives me pleasure to see this new generation invested in heritage,” he says, “and it goes without saying that the tourism rise in the valley can only have positive economic repercussions on our neighboring businesses.”

Enthusiastic participants

While participants are already planning a new hike in the valley, Maria, a young student, confides: “It is important to me that the inhabitants of my village, Mazraat en-Nahr, discover these hitherto unknown or inaccessible trails and preserve them. Visitors also need to use them. These paths will not survive if we do not walk them.” For his part, Dany, 26, from Becharré, assures: “I grew up here and I walked this valley from side to side. It is the heritage of my ancestors, a holy land. Everything related to it is of interest to me and I would like to continue the training courses with LMT to become a real, fully qualified tour guide, and meet people who share the same interests. The coaches are professional and a real mine of information.”

In the afternoon, participants attend a final session on the priceless flora found in the heart of the Qadisha, before a certificate ceremony. It is the opportunity for them to take stock of this enriching experience. “I thank UNESCO and the LMT for all the information that was communicated to us in an educational manner, and for this project which will encourage tourism in our region,” says Omar. His friend, Youssef, assures: “This training gave us joy, knowledge, culture and work opportunities. » Nathalie Bou Younes, from the Union of Municipalities of the region, explains that the names of people trained by UNESCO will be communicated to the municipalities to provide work opportunities. “There is a growing demand for hiking in the Qadisha and these trails have been transformed by UNESCO to allow visitors to discover this site while preserving the environment,” she says.

Forest protection

In addition to training tourist guides, the UNESCO Office in Beirut also offered, in partnership with the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, training on forest and fire prevention. Municipal guards, members of the Civil Defense as well as young volunteers were coached by professionals of the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation on the best ways to prevent or contain a fire while waiting for the firefighters to arrive.

“It is very important to provide this type of training to local communities so that they can support firefighters, even if the necessary equipment is not available,” explains Wael Mostafa, trainer. We are raising awareness among these people with crucial information to protect the valley and they will be able to provide valuable logistical support in the event of a disaster. The goal of a first aid team is to arrive on the scene and ensure that the fire that begins does not turn into a disaster. » On this level, Wael assures that the plant density within the Qadisha as well as the diversity of the flora increase the risk of fire and that many elements complicate things. “In the event of a disaster, this site is protected, which means that it is prohibited to open gaps or roads in the vegetation,” he assures. This is difficult because any maneuver must be done manually with water pumps. In Qadisha, we must therefore count on the awareness of the local community which is a key factor, especially if the inhabitants live from businesses around the site. Another advantage is the religious aspect which strengthens the affection of the villagers for their valley. »

At the end of the training, materials and equipment necessary to prevent and fight fires are offered by UNESCO and Italy to the locality, and are made available to the Union of Municipalities of Becharré. A day of cleaning the trails and the town of Hadshit also brought together young children from the region, with the aim of raising awareness among them of the importance of preserving the Qadisha and its surrounding villages, which constitute, in many respects, a global wealth. “UNESCO is privileged to have the opportunity to carry out such a unique project in the Qadisha Valley”, assures Costanza Farina, Director of the UNESO Regional Office in Beirut. The strategic partnership with Italy reconfirmed also in this project is testament to the critical importance of investing on cultural heritage as a shared value and as a source of inspiration for the future. I am confident that the seeds planted within these motivated participants will lead to further involvement and commitment of youth and the local communities in the preservation of the Valley. But hopefully it will also support new job opportunities for them in a context where we see an impressive increasing interest by Lebanese and non-Lebanese people in discovering the fascinating nature of Lebanon.”