Jordan steps up push to protect natural landscapes
Jordan has increased the size of its protected areas from 1.4% to 4% of the Kingdom’s total land area under the 2015 national strategy, highlighting the impact of sustained national efforts to conserve biodiversity, according to Belal Qteishat, Director of the Nature Protection Directorate at the Ministry of Environment, Qazinform News Agency cites Petra.
Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra) on Thursday, Qteishat said the updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan through 2030 aims to expand protected areas to 10 percent of the country’s total area in the next phase. This goal underscores Jordan’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of natural resources for future generations. He noted that the strategy aligns with the global Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022.
A 2018 review of the strategy’s implementation showed that nature reserves expanded to cover 5.4 percent of the Kingdom’s total area, exceeding the declared national target and reflecting the effectiveness of national efforts and institutional partnerships, Qteishat said.
According to Qteishat, Jordan has met its international obligations by developing and updating the strategy in line with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and standards set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
He said that the establishment of nature reserves in Jordan dates back to the 1970s, following royal directives from the late King Hussein bin Talal, with the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve becoming the Kingdom’s first protected area.
Qteishat also highlighted the 2020 royal directives to establish the Aqaba Marine Reserve, Jordan’s first marine protected area, which stretches seven kilometers along the Kingdom’s coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba and aims to protect marine ecosystems while promoting sustainable eco-tourism.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Saudi Arabia has launched a project to issue passports for camels.
