The local Arab inhabitants traditionally used the area for pasture, firewood and intermittent cultivation. The intensification of settlement and agriculture in the coastal plain during the 19th century led to deforestation and subsequent environmental degradation.
In the past, the area was used by the local Arab population for short-term farming, wood gathering, and occasional pasture use. Nevertheless, with the rapid growth of settlements and agricultural activities in the coastal plain during the 19th century, extensive deforestation and environmental degradation occurred.