AMMAN - UNESCO's declaration of Mujib as a biosphere reserve reinforces Jordan's position on the world eco-tourism map and calls for greater support of the country's nature sanctuaries, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
Minister of Environment Taher Shakhshir noted that the UNESCO announcement represents international recognition of Mujib's unique ecosystems and its socio-economic programmes supporting local communities.
"This highlights the success of integrating nature protection with local development programmes implemented by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in Mujib," he said during a celebration organised by the RSCN to officially announce UNESCO's declaration of Mujib as a biosphere reserve.
"Many people don't appreciate the importance of protecting biological diversity, whether as a right for future generations or as a major pillar in the social and economic development process," Shakhshir said in his address.
Biosphere reserves are sites recognised by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme where local communities are actively involved in governance and management, research, education, training and monitoring the service of both socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation.
Khaled Irani, chairman of the RSCN board of directors, underscored yesterday that Mujib is not only important for its location as the world's lowest-altitude reserve, but also for its integrated ecosystem, and linking nature protection and management with supporting local communities.
"The RSCN connects nature protection with socio-economic development; this approach has made nature protection a necessity for the Jordanian community rather than a luxury," he noted.
Irani cited the Dana Biosphere Reserve as an example of success in turning an abandoned village into a major eco-tourism destination in the world.
"The village used to get its rice and sugar supplies once a week, but now the local community in Dana generates between JD500,000 and JD1 million," Irani said, highlighting the role of eco-tourism in reviving local communities.
UNESCO Representative in Jordan Anna Paolini said Mujib was declared a biosphere reserve in July this year in recognition of its unique location and its programmes integrating nature conservation with community development.
"Mujib is among 18 new biosphere reserves that were added on July 1 to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which now numbers 580 sites in 114 countries," she added.
Noting that Jordan is now home to two biosphere reserves, Paolini underscored that they are tools for promoting environmental stability and building links between biodiversity protection and socio-economic development.
The area has more than 90 rare plant species at the national level, according to the UNESCO website, which indicated that Mujib is home to one fish species endemic to the Dead Sea Basin and 24 mammal species of national, regional and global conservation importance.
The reserve encompasses high-altitude summits and waterfalls and is named after the 13-square-kilometre Mujib Valley, which runs through it, according to the RSCN.
Spread over a 212-square-kilometre area, the reserve also houses seasonal and permanent rivers that flow through several valleys, enabling the arid area to support diverse ecosystems and providing vital water resources for the shrinking Dead Sea.
The reserve also a vital site for migratory birds particularly since it is located on the Rift Valley-Red Sea Flyway, the world's second-most used route.
© Jordan Times 2011
