Biographie
Dr. Maya Nehme is the Director of the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI), a Lebanese NGO that started in 2010 as a project funded by USAID and implemented by the US Forest Service International Program and that made a significant positive change in the forestry sector in Lebanon, and has planted so far more than 850,000 native tree seedlings across the country, on more than 1200 ha of land, with a record survival rate exceeding 75%, in addition to quarry restoration, climate change adaptation, wildfire management, awareness raising and environmental education activities.
Dr. Nehme holds a diploma in agricultural engineering from the Lebanese University; a Masters degree in Plant Protection from AUB-FAFS,; a dual-title PhD degree in Entomology and Comparative and International Education from The Pennsylvania State University, USA and a PMP certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). She is on the founding committee of 3 associations, including CTSEL and LRI in Lebanon and the Lebanese Student Association at PSU, USA; recipient of 6 awards in leadership, and has a considerable international research experience working in Lebanon, USA, China, France, Holland and Germany.
Dr. Nehme also worked as an instructor at AUB-FAFS for 2 semesters and at the Lebanese University Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences for 6 years. A mother of 3 boys, Dr. Nehme is coupling motherhood with research, practice and education, and is focusing her efforts as a mother and a director to increase environmental awareness and make a positive change in Lebanon’s forests and environment.
Speaking at
Bottlenecks in Nature Restoration Projects: Insights from Practitioners
oct 10 2025 (14:00 - 15:00)
Room: IDEA Campaign & IUCN ENCA
From Practice to Policy: Working towards Rooted Resilience in the Levant
oct 12 2025 (12:00 - 13:00)
Room: IUCN Arabia