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Ecotourism in Jordan

February 20, 2024

Ecotourism in Jordan has grown tremendously due to environmental pressures and the demand for jobs outside of the cities, especially since the establishment of the Dana Biosphere in 1993, the first biosphere reserve.[1]

Dana Biosphere Reserve

History edit

The early history of ecotourism in Jordan is attributed to His Majesty, the late King Hussein who was behind the creation of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, created in 1966, which protects and manages the natural resources of Jordan.[2] It currently oversees ten protected areas, Ajloun Forest Reserve, Azraq Wetland Reserve, Burqu Nature Reserve, Dana Biosphere Reserve, Dahek Nature Reserve, Dibeen Forest Reserve, Dmeitha Nature Reserve, Fifa Nature Reserve, Mujib Nature Reserve, Qatar Nature Reserve, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve. [3] Jordan was one of the countries that responded to the declaration of the International Year of Ecotourism in 2002.[4] Ecotourism practices were considered when planning for tourism destinations in order to improve its contribution to the local and national economic development.[5] The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) published an ecotourism booklet in April 2004 with the cooperation of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and the Jordan Royal Ecological Diving Society.[6][7] The booklet includes all the ecotourism sites in Jordan with a brief description of each site location, what it is, and what has been done to enhance and develop the site.[7] Six nature reserves including the Ajloun Forest Reserve, Dana Biosphere Reserve, Mujib Nature Reserve, Azraq Wetland Reserve, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, and Wadi Rum in addition to the Dead Sea, Bethany Beyond the Jordan, and the Gulf of Aqaba are distinguished.[8] The booklet also provides some important and useful guidelines for visitors; the guidelines include:

  1. Respect the culture and the traditions of the local community
  2. Purchase local products
  3. Use energy conservation practices
  4. Follow directions and rules of the reserves
  5. Use water conservation practices
  6. Do not use natural water resources as they may not be clean
  7. Do not hike alone in the dark [7]

The booklet also encourages tourists to become members of the RSCN, providing them with a membership form.[9] A person can become a regular member with several benefits or can “adopt” an animal by paying a fee which provides some benefits such as a “parent” certificate and free entry to the reserve to visit the adopted animal.[10]

Jordan uses tourism as a tool for conservation. By promoting tourism throughout the country, business owners and hoteliers contribute to conserving Jordan's landscape.[11] The ecotourism scheme has provided job opportunities and a market for local products, bringing much needed economic stability to some of Jordan's poorest rural communities.[12]

In addition to small NGOs and other organizations, The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and USAID are largely responsible for the increase in ecotourism in Jordan. In 2003, a branch of the RSCN, Wild Jordan, was established to manage social economic development and eco-tourism activities in all RSCN protected areas.[13] In 2000, USAID began supporting development of Jordan's eco-tourism industry as a means to create jobs in rural communities. The RSCN and USAID partnership is now 20 years old, and both work together to make eco-tourism a success.[14]

Economics edit

Eco-tourism has generated tremendous revenue for the country and the rural communities in the nature reserves. The RSCN has a 100% local employment policy in all their protected areas, resulting in eco-tourism directly supporting around 160,000 families throughout Jordan. According to USAID, in the Dana community, over 85 jobs were directly created, helping around 800 people.[15] The Feynan Ecolodge, in Wadi Feynan, alone directly creates 32 jobs for locals, and many more indirect jobs.[16] Creating jobs is a concern in Jordan since the unemployment rate rests around 12.3 and 15.3 percent.[17] Through income-generating projects with eco-tourism, communities living around nature reserves earned JD1.6million in 2012, which is roughly USD2.3million. RSCN annual report also showed that eco-tourism revenue was up 10% in 2012 from the year before, jumping from JD831,336 to JD916,141.[18] There is huge potential for this industry, which could generate around 50,000 jobs in a decade through environmental conservation. This would equate to about JD1.3 billion, equal to about USD2.1 billion.[19] According to the Environment Ministry Secretary General Ahmad Qatarneh, environmental destruction costs Jordan about USD1.25 billion a year, five percent of Jordan's GDP and about twice the amount of aid received in 2009. A green economy helps to offset this cost while reducing degradation.[20]

Community involvement edit

It is the local communities' involvement in these nature reserves that makes eco-tourism a success. The local communities contribute to eco-tourism by leading tours and hikes, working in the lodges and restaurants, transporting people and resources, and other various jobs. Manual labor is used more than machines, providing a smaller impact on the environment and more jobs.[21] Community members originally relied on hunting and herding for income. Now, with the wide variety of jobs, there is less hunting and a better standard of living.[22] Herding was once sustainable, but with population growth there was too much pressure on the diverse plants and grazing area. Hunting was decreasing biodiversity and endangering animals like the Nubian ibex. Now, these animals are used as a tourist attraction rather than food. The communities still graze their herds, but they keep significantly less and respect no grazing areas.[23] Furthermore, eco-tourism is also helping to revive communities. With the help of USAID, the city of Dana, near the Dana Biosphere Reserve, is rebuilding fifty-seven historic houses. The goal of the project is to bring back the community members who left the poor city in search of work. Through eco-tourism, poverty is reduced, the environment is protected, and heritage is restored.[24]

Environmental issues edit

However, despite the economic benefits, eco-tourism is not without controversy. Eco-tourism projects, especially in the beginning, are not always as environmentally-conscious as possible. For example, in the Wadi Rum nature reserve, the sudden increase in tourism was accompanied by increased roads, electrical lines, hotels, and litter. Although the development helped improve the Wadi Rum Village of Bedouins by bringing them more reliable water and electricity, decisions regarding the fate of Wadi Rum often disregarded local opinions. For example, plans were created to move the village further away and make the existing village into a tourist site without consulting the Rum community.[25] Despite efforts, there are still environmental problems within the reserves. Threats include woodcutting, overgrazing, and hunting, but these threats have significantly decreased in the past decades.[26]

References edit

  1. ^ Sullivan, Kathy "Jordan's Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists." USAID. Nov.-Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014 <http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/depleting-resources/jordans-natural-bounty-becomes-boon-locals-and 2017-07-10 at the Wayback Machine>.
  2. ^ "Eco-tourism for Conservation." Wild Jordan. Web. 26 Mar. 2014 <http://www.rscn.org.jo/orgsite/Group1/AboutWildJordan/tabid/162/Default.aspx 2015-04-28 at the Wayback Machine 25 March 2014>.
  3. ^ Lee, Jessica "Jordan: 10 Reasons to Visit the Middle East's Most Easygoing Country" CNN Travel. Mar 2014. Retrieved 29 Mar 2014.<http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/08/travel/jordan-visit/>.
  4. ^ "International Year of Ecotourism (2002)".
  5. ^ El-Harami, Jamal. "The Diversity of Ecology and Nature Reserves as an Ecotourism Attraction in Jordan" (PDF).
  6. ^ . Jordan Tourism Board North America. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  7. ^ a b c Al-mughrabi, Abeer. "Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan" (PDF).
  8. ^ . Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  9. ^ . Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  10. ^ . Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. Archived from the original on 2015-05-22. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
  11. ^ Greenstein, Tracy. "If You're Looking for An Uncommon Travel Experience, Stay At This Ecolodge". Forbes. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  12. ^ Wismayer, Henry. "Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan is an eco-tourism oasis in the desert". Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  13. ^ "Eco-tourism for Conservation." Wild Jordan. Web. 26 Mar. 2014 <http://www.rscn.org.jo/orgsite/Group1/AboutWildJordan/tabid/162/Default.aspx 2015-04-28 at the Wayback Machine 25 March 2014>.
  14. ^ Sullivan, Kathy "Jordan's Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists." USAID. Nov.-Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014 <http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/depleting-resources/jordans-natural-bounty-becomes-boon-locals-and 2017-07-10 at the Wayback Machine>.
  15. ^ Sullivan, Kathy "Jordan's Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists." USAID. Nov.-Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014 <http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/depleting-resources/jordans-natural-bounty-becomes-boon-locals-and 2017-07-10 at the Wayback Machine>.
  16. ^ "Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan is an eco-tourism oasis in the desert". Washington Post. 2023-05-19. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  17. ^ "Green Economy". United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). PDF. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014 <http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/advisory_services/countries/Jordan%20final.pdf>.
  18. ^ Namrouqa, Hana. "Local Communities Earn JD1.6 million from Income Generating Projects in 2012." The Jordan Times. N.p., Jun 2013. Web.26 Mar. 2014.<http://jordantimes.com/local-communities-earn-jd16-million-from-income-generating-projects-in-2012 2013-06-12 at the Wayback Machine>.
  19. ^ "Green Economy". United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). PDF. Retrieved 29 Apr 2014 <http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/advisory_services/countries/Jordan%20final.pdf>.
  20. ^ Namrouqa, Hana. "Investing in Environment Protection Can Generate 50,000 Jobs in Decade." The Jordan Times. N.p., Apr 2013. 25 Mar. 2014.<http://jordantimes.com/investing-in-environment-protection-can-generate-50000-jobs-in-decade 2014-07-11 at the Wayback Machine>.
  21. ^ Sullivan, Kathy "Jordan's Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists." USAID. Nov.-Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014 <http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/depleting-resources/jordans-natural-bounty-becomes-boon-locals-and 2017-07-10 at the Wayback Machine>.
  22. ^ "Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan is an eco-tourism oasis in the desert". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  23. ^ Sullivan, Kathy "Jordan's Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists." USAID. Nov.-Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014 <http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/depleting-resources/jordans-natural-bounty-becomes-boon-locals-and 2017-07-10 at the Wayback Machine>.
  24. ^ Shaw, Garry. "Jordan’s first ‘heritage village’ to be completed this year" The Art Newspaper. Apr. 2014. Web. 29 April 2014 <http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Jordans-first-heritage-village-to-be-completed-this-year/32391>.
  25. ^ Brand, Laurie A. "Development in Wadi Rum? State Bureaucracy, External Funders, and Civil" International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 33, No. 4. pp. 571-590. Nov. 2001.
  26. ^ "Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan is an Eco-tourism Oasis in the Desert". Global Environmental Facility. Feb. 2012. Web. 29 April 2014.<http://www.thegef.org/gef/content/dana-biosphere-reserve-jordan-eco-tourism-oasis-desert 2014-06-02 at the Wayback Machine>.

February 20, 2024
ecotourism, jordan, grown, tremendously, environmental, pressures, demand, jobs, outside, cities, especially, since, establishment, dana, biosphere, 1993, first, biosphere, reserve, dana, biosphere, reservethis, article, written, like, personal, reflection, pe. Ecotourism in Jordan has grown tremendously due to environmental pressures and the demand for jobs outside of the cities especially since the establishment of the Dana Biosphere in 1993 the first biosphere reserve 1 Dana Biosphere ReserveThis article is written like a personal reflection personal essay or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor s personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style January 2024 Learn how and when to remove this template message Contents 1 History 2 Economics 3 Community involvement 4 Environmental issues 5 ReferencesHistory editThe early history of ecotourism in Jordan is attributed to His Majesty the late King Hussein who was behind the creation of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature created in 1966 which protects and manages the natural resources of Jordan 2 It currently oversees ten protected areas Ajloun Forest Reserve Azraq Wetland Reserve Burqu Nature Reserve Dana Biosphere Reserve Dahek Nature Reserve Dibeen Forest Reserve Dmeitha Nature Reserve Fifa Nature Reserve Mujib Nature Reserve Qatar Nature Reserve Shaumari Wildlife Reserve 3 Jordan was one of the countries that responded to the declaration of the International Year of Ecotourism in 2002 4 Ecotourism practices were considered when planning for tourism destinations in order to improve its contribution to the local and national economic development 5 The Jordan Tourism Board JTB published an ecotourism booklet in April 2004 with the cooperation of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and the Jordan Royal Ecological Diving Society 6 7 The booklet includes all the ecotourism sites in Jordan with a brief description of each site location what it is and what has been done to enhance and develop the site 7 Six nature reserves including the Ajloun Forest Reserve Dana Biosphere Reserve Mujib Nature Reserve Azraq Wetland Reserve Shaumari Wildlife Reserve and Wadi Rum in addition to the Dead Sea Bethany Beyond the Jordan and the Gulf of Aqaba are distinguished 8 The booklet also provides some important and useful guidelines for visitors the guidelines include Respect the culture and the traditions of the local community Purchase local products Use energy conservation practices Follow directions and rules of the reserves Use water conservation practices Do not use natural water resources as they may not be clean Do not hike alone in the dark 7 The booklet also encourages tourists to become members of the RSCN providing them with a membership form 9 A person can become a regular member with several benefits or can adopt an animal by paying a fee which provides some benefits such as a parent certificate and free entry to the reserve to visit the adopted animal 10 Jordan uses tourism as a tool for conservation By promoting tourism throughout the country business owners and hoteliers contribute to conserving Jordan s landscape 11 The ecotourism scheme has provided job opportunities and a market for local products bringing much needed economic stability to some of Jordan s poorest rural communities 12 In addition to small NGOs and other organizations The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and USAID are largely responsible for the increase in ecotourism in Jordan In 2003 a branch of the RSCN Wild Jordan was established to manage social economic development and eco tourism activities in all RSCN protected areas 13 In 2000 USAID began supporting development of Jordan s eco tourism industry as a means to create jobs in rural communities The RSCN and USAID partnership is now 20 years old and both work together to make eco tourism a success 14 Economics editEco tourism has generated tremendous revenue for the country and the rural communities in the nature reserves The RSCN has a 100 local employment policy in all their protected areas resulting in eco tourism directly supporting around 160 000 families throughout Jordan According to USAID in the Dana community over 85 jobs were directly created helping around 800 people 15 The Feynan Ecolodge in Wadi Feynan alone directly creates 32 jobs for locals and many more indirect jobs 16 Creating jobs is a concern in Jordan since the unemployment rate rests around 12 3 and 15 3 percent 17 Through income generating projects with eco tourism communities living around nature reserves earned JD1 6million in 2012 which is roughly USD2 3million RSCN annual report also showed that eco tourism revenue was up 10 in 2012 from the year before jumping from JD831 336 to JD916 141 18 There is huge potential for this industry which could generate around 50 000 jobs in a decade through environmental conservation This would equate to about JD1 3 billion equal to about USD2 1 billion 19 According to the Environment Ministry Secretary General Ahmad Qatarneh environmental destruction costs Jordan about USD1 25 billion a year five percent of Jordan s GDP and about twice the amount of aid received in 2009 A green economy helps to offset this cost while reducing degradation 20 Community involvement editIt is the local communities involvement in these nature reserves that makes eco tourism a success The local communities contribute to eco tourism by leading tours and hikes working in the lodges and restaurants transporting people and resources and other various jobs Manual labor is used more than machines providing a smaller impact on the environment and more jobs 21 Community members originally relied on hunting and herding for income Now with the wide variety of jobs there is less hunting and a better standard of living 22 Herding was once sustainable but with population growth there was too much pressure on the diverse plants and grazing area Hunting was decreasing biodiversity and endangering animals like the Nubian ibex Now these animals are used as a tourist attraction rather than food The communities still graze their herds but they keep significantly less and respect no grazing areas 23 Furthermore eco tourism is also helping to revive communities With the help of USAID the city of Dana near the Dana Biosphere Reserve is rebuilding fifty seven historic houses The goal of the project is to bring back the community members who left the poor city in search of work Through eco tourism poverty is reduced the environment is protected and heritage is restored 24 Environmental issues editHowever despite the economic benefits eco tourism is not without controversy Eco tourism projects especially in the beginning are not always as environmentally conscious as possible For example in the Wadi Rum nature reserve the sudden increase in tourism was accompanied by increased roads electrical lines hotels and litter Although the development helped improve the Wadi Rum Village of Bedouins by bringing them more reliable water and electricity decisions regarding the fate of Wadi Rum often disregarded local opinions For example plans were created to move the village further away and make the existing village into a tourist site without consulting the Rum community 25 Despite efforts there are still environmental problems within the reserves Threats include woodcutting overgrazing and hunting but these threats have significantly decreased in the past decades 26 References edit Sullivan Kathy Jordan s Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists USAID Nov Dec 2013 Web 25 Mar 2014 lt http www usaid gov news information frontlines depleting resources jordans natural bounty becomes boon locals and Archived 2017 07 10 at the Wayback Machine gt Eco tourism for Conservation Wild Jordan Web 26 Mar 2014 lt http www rscn org jo orgsite Group1 AboutWildJordan tabid 162 Default aspx Archived 2015 04 28 at the Wayback Machine 25 March 2014 gt Lee Jessica Jordan 10 Reasons to Visit the Middle East s Most Easygoing Country CNN Travel Mar 2014 Retrieved 29 Mar 2014 lt http www cnn com 2014 03 08 travel jordan visit gt International Year of Ecotourism 2002 El Harami Jamal The Diversity of Ecology and Nature Reserves as an Ecotourism Attraction in Jordan PDF About Jordan Tourism Board Jordan Tourism Board North America Archived from the original on 19 April 2015 Retrieved 20 April 2015 a b c Al mughrabi Abeer Ecotourism A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan PDF Protected Areas Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature Archived from the original on 20 April 2015 Retrieved 20 April 2015 Overview Getting Involved Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature Archived from the original on 20 April 2015 Retrieved 20 April 2015 Getting Involved Membership Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature Archived from the original on 2015 05 22 Retrieved 2015 05 18 Greenstein Tracy If You re Looking for An Uncommon Travel Experience Stay At This Ecolodge Forbes Retrieved 3 May 2015 Wismayer Henry Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan is an eco tourism oasis in the desert Retrieved 3 May 2015 Eco tourism for Conservation Wild Jordan Web 26 Mar 2014 lt http www rscn org jo orgsite Group1 AboutWildJordan tabid 162 Default aspx Archived 2015 04 28 at the Wayback Machine 25 March 2014 gt Sullivan Kathy Jordan s Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists USAID Nov Dec 2013 Web 25 Mar 2014 lt http www usaid gov news information frontlines depleting resources jordans natural bounty becomes boon locals and Archived 2017 07 10 at the Wayback Machine gt Sullivan Kathy Jordan s Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists USAID Nov Dec 2013 Web 25 Mar 2014 lt http www usaid gov news information frontlines depleting resources jordans natural bounty becomes boon locals and Archived 2017 07 10 at the Wayback Machine gt Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan is an eco tourism oasis in the desert Washington Post 2023 05 19 ISSN 0190 8286 Retrieved 2023 08 08 Green Economy United Nations Environment Programme UNEP PDF Retrieved 29 Apr 2014 lt http www unep org greeneconomy Portals 88 documents advisory services countries Jordan 20final pdf gt Namrouqa Hana Local Communities Earn JD1 6 million from Income Generating Projects in 2012 The Jordan Times N p Jun 2013 Web 26 Mar 2014 lt http jordantimes com local communities earn jd16 million from income generating projects in 2012 Archived 2013 06 12 at the Wayback Machine gt Green Economy United Nations Environment Programme UNEP PDF Retrieved 29 Apr 2014 lt http www unep org greeneconomy Portals 88 documents advisory services countries Jordan 20final pdf gt Namrouqa Hana Investing in Environment Protection Can Generate 50 000 Jobs in Decade The Jordan Times N p Apr 2013 25 Mar 2014 lt http jordantimes com investing in environment protection can generate 50000 jobs in decade Archived 2014 07 11 at the Wayback Machine gt Sullivan Kathy Jordan s Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists USAID Nov Dec 2013 Web 25 Mar 2014 lt http www usaid gov news information frontlines depleting resources jordans natural bounty becomes boon locals and Archived 2017 07 10 at the Wayback Machine gt Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan is an eco tourism oasis in the desert The Washington Post Retrieved 2023 08 08 Sullivan Kathy Jordan s Natural Bounty Becomes a Boon for Locals and Tourists USAID Nov Dec 2013 Web 25 Mar 2014 lt http www usaid gov news information frontlines depleting resources jordans natural bounty becomes boon locals and Archived 2017 07 10 at the Wayback Machine gt Shaw Garry Jordan s first heritage village to be completed this year The Art Newspaper Apr 2014 Web 29 April 2014 lt http www theartnewspaper com articles Jordans first heritage village to be completed this year 32391 gt Brand Laurie A Development in Wadi Rum State Bureaucracy External Funders and Civil International Journal of Middle East Studies Vol 33 No 4 pp 571 590 Nov 2001 Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan is an Eco tourism Oasis in the Desert Global Environmental Facility Feb 2012 Web 29 April 2014 lt http www thegef org gef content dana biosphere reserve jordan eco tourism oasis desert Archived 2014 06 02 at the Wayback Machine gt Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ecotourism in Jordan amp oldid 1206887474, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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