AMMAN - The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is preparing the Kingdom's first ecological map, which identifies areas of environmental significance for future development assessment, RSCN Director General Yehya Khaled said on Tuesday.
The ecological map will point out the location of nature reserves, important bird areas and sites of environmental significance so they can be excluded when planning for investment projects, Khaled noted.
"The map will serve as a sort of precautionary measure, so that policy makers and investors plan investments away from sites with environmental significance and forests or take environment protection into consideration," he told The Jordan Times.
The map will be part of a master land-use plan by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which tasked the RSCN with preparing it.
Khaled noted that several investments implemented in forests or near reserves and sites with environmental significance could have been shifted if a clear and accurate map for Jordan's ecological areas had been available.
The conservationist underscored that the country hosts diverse and unique ecosystems and sites of local and international importance, which calls for a map that shows reserves and forests.
The Kingdom is home to 10 nature reserves in Dana, Azraq, Shomari, Mujib, Ajloun, Wadi Rum, Dibbeen, the Yarmouk River Basin, Qatar and Fifa, which include different ecosystems and preserve locally and globally threatened fauna and flora.
In addition, there are three special conservation areas (SCA): Homret Maeen, located between the Madaba and Balqa governorates; Ben Hammad in Karak Governorate and Kheyouf in Balqa Governorate.
Special conservation areas are geographically defined sites characterised by unique natural and cultural heritage.
Generally smaller than nature reserves, SCAs have more specific ecological roles and aim to integrate local development with sustainable management of natural resources.
© Jordan Times 2013
