AMMAN -- With the finalised terms of reference (TOR) for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed Dibbeen tourism complex still pending, concern about the joint Jordan Dubai Capital (JDC) and Social Security Corporation (SSC) venture remains strong within the Kingdom's environmental circles.
The environmental consulting agency ECO Consult is due to issue the EIA in the next two months.
The report will signal whether construction on the JD100 million project can begin in the forest located in the Jerash Governorate.
Environmentalists fear the ecological ramifications of the proposed 500-dunum tourism complex will wreak havoc in one of country's few remaining forests.
"Small and isolated patches of habitat have lower diversity than larger patches. Major disturbances within a small habitat patch, like the tourist project in Dibbeen, will definitely have a negative impact on natural processes and biodiversity," Fares Khoury, a professor in the department of biological sciences at Hashemite University, told The Jordan Times.
"Less than one per cent of Jordan's total area harbours natural woodland... This forest habitat is important for a number of plants, including rare trees species, orchids and animals, including a few bird species of national conservation importance," Khoury added, emphasising the ecological fragility of area.
According to a bylaw within the Ministry of Environment's environmental protection act, a positive EIA is required before construction begins.
It is, however, theoretically illegal to build on any of the Kingdom's natural reserves although the Ministry of Agriculture has the last say on whether construction on any patch of land goes through.
The proposed site for the Dibbeen tourism complex lies adjacent to the Dibbeen Reserve.
"Roads and networks for water and sewage have to be established, thus it is expected that the construction will go through and affect the surrounding reserve," Khoury added.
When JDC and the investment unit of the SSC announced the Dibbeen project last May, a memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties included a cooperative agreement with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) and the Jordan River Foundation (JRF).
According to the memorandum, upon the issuance of a positive EIA, the RSCN will provide JDC with consultations and methods to aid in the preservation of the surrounding natural habitat.
The JRF will contribute by facilitating training programmes for citizens in the area to help prepare them for job opportunities within the tourist complex.
"We understand the sensitivity of the area in Dibbeen," JDC CEO Samir Rifai, stressed.
"We will work closely with the RSCN and other organisations to forego damage to the surrounding environment," he told The Jordan Times
Part of the EIA's stipulation is to ensure that the construction is carried out within the confines of the Kingdom's environmental regulations.
Commenting on the natural and historical richness of the northern part of the country, Rifai noted the visible absence of 5-star hotels and lack of a veritable tourism infrastructure in the Jerash Governorate.
"The Dibbeen location was chosen because of the natural beauty of the surrounding area," Rifai explained, adding that the north of Jordan is among the least economically developed areas in the country.
The forest is the most southerly natural pine forest in the world.
JDC Capital was established in May 2005 with the vision of developing projects in the country's less-developed areas to aid in the creation of job opportunities, increase shareholder value of privately-owned land, and the flow of tourists to these areas.
The proposed site is owned by the SSC and they have an interest in bringing investment to the land to help benefit the corporation's shareholders, Rifai noted.
ECO Consult's TOR was presented at a scoping session in December attended by JDC, SSC, the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture and several environmental organisations including the RSCN and the Jordan Environment Society (JES).
The document includes specifications relating to the EIA, whereby the methods of site analysis, qualifications of those involved and environmental regulations are detailed and submitted to the ministry.
The scoping session was intended to iron out the TOR, but it failed to produce a consensus among attendees and the ministry is still awaiting the finalised document.
"The TOR was focused on the social side of the project, noting that young people in the area will be introduced to more employment opportunities," JES President Mohammad Masalha told The Jordan Times, adding that the EIA should be a technical and scientific document. "This project will never be sustainable. The trees in this area are over 300 years old with diverse systems of ecology and a place for Jordanian wildlife for hundred of years," he said.
The Environment Ministry is waiting for the outcome of the EIA until they take an official standpoint on the tourism complex.
"JDC approached us about wanting to begin a project in Dibbeen several months ago. It is legally required that they submit to an EIA to determine the immediate impact the complex would have in the area... Our official view is dependent upon the assessment," Ahmad Qatarneh, acting secretary general of the ministry told The Jordan Times.
Meanwhile, Khalid Nasser, president of the Jordan Society for Sustainable Development, fears that if the tourism complex goes through it will clear the way for further construction in the country's other environmental hotspots.
"My concern is not only for the Dibbeen forest, I am also concerned about Ajloun and other natural forests in Jerash and Irbid. If we open the door for such investment we don't have the right to turn down other investors from building elsewhere in the future."
JDC's consultation with the RSCN resulted in the initial design plans being downsized. The project started with three hotels and nearly 600 chalets, but was reconfigured and now includes one hotel and 200 chalets within the tourism complex.
"We understand we have a responsibility. If we are not at one with nature, this project will not fly," Rifai emphasised, adding that the well-being of the surrounding habitat is pivotal in attracting tourists to the complex.
Eight per cent of the total 125 acres (500 dunums) that encompasses the entire complex will be directly affected by the construction -- 160 trees will be cut down, out of a total of over 9,000 calculated after a topographic study was conducted in cooperation with the RSCN.
With the finalised terms to completed in the coming weeks, the debate remains caught in between the social benefits of private investment versus the ecological implications.
Acknowledging the benefit of creating jobs and bringing tourists to experience Jordan's natural habitats, RSCN Acting Director General Yayha Khalid emphasised: "Our main concern is to ensure the ecological integrity of the area."
By Cheryl Haines
© Jordan Times 2007
