AMMAN - Nine new nature reserves will be established in the Kingdom, four of which are currently under construction and will be ready in five years, Minister of Environment Khaled Irani announced on Sunday.
In its weekly meeting last Tuesday, the Cabinet approved the national nature reserves network strategy, which entails the establishment of nine new protected areas, according to the minister.
"The nine new reserves cover most of the Kingdom's landscapes and include Burqu, Yarmouk, Qatar, Jabal Masuda, Fifa, Jabal Attiyeh, Mrajel, Abu Rukbeh and Bayir," Irani told The Jordan Times yesterday.
Work is currently under way for the establishment of nature reserves in the Yarmouk River basin in the north, Fifa in Ghor Safi and Qatar and Jabal Masuda in Wadi Araba in the south at a cost of JD13 million, according to the minister.
The four soon-to-be protected areas stretch over a total terrain of 570 square kilometres, he indicated.
Irani said the protected areas will not all be established within the same time period, adding that the strategy, which was prepared in cooperation with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), defines land usage at the designated sites.
"The reserves will not be fenced but remain open spaces with excellent management in order to protect the country's treasures," Irani said, adding that the areas will protect the environment and generate revenue through ecotourism.
"These locations were selected due to their unique ecosystems and for being home to threatened species," Irani noted, adding that the new reserves aim to increase the country's less than 1 per cent green cover, protect biodiversity and preserve the Kingdom's ecosystems.
Environment-related NGOs will carry out awareness campaigns aimed at local residents on the importance of the protected areas and their role in improving communities' environmental and economic conditions, he said.
With the establishment of the nine nature reserves, the Kingdom will be home to 16 such sanctuaries. The existing seven reserves, according to RSCN, are: Dana, Azraq, Shomari, Ajloun, Mujib, Wadi Rum and Dibeen Forest.
The care of the nature reserves, which act as sanctuaries for endangered animal, bird and plant species, are entrusted to RSCN, a nongovernmental organisation established in 1966.
By Hana Namrouqa
© Jordan Times 2008
