Aqaba's Environmental Prospects 2007-2010

By: Batir Wardam

You will have to search several locations in the World to find a situation similar to Aqaba’s: Jordan’s only outlet to the sea. This is a unique case of a confined, fragile and exquisite ecosystem subject to the cumulative effect of the “triangle of environmental threats”: Industry, tourism and transport.

The Jordanian segment of the Gulf of Aqaba is only 27 Km. Being the only sea port of Jordan, so many anthropogenic activities have engulfed the short beach in the last 50 years. Currently, only 7 Km of the beach is still “ natural”, devoid of ports, hotels, residential constructions and factories.

The huge stress for development in Aqaba and the fierce competition between transport, tourism and industry to occupy the beach have left the environment of Aqaba fighting a difficult battle against deterioration and pollution.

Aqaba is witnessing a drastic and rapid socio-economic and environmental transformation process that poses a great challenge to the integrity of the marine ecosystem. The great dynamics of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone and the liberal economic development planning is causing severe pressure on the Aqaba marine environment in many aspects. The following sections summarize some of the expected prospects for Aqaba until 2010 based on ASEZA's planning system.

Since its establishment in 2001 ASEZA has documented a relative success in attracting investments with a total of 1.0 billion US $ in investment with the ultimate aim of attracting 6.0 billion US $ by 2020.

One of the most important pressure elements on the environment will be the high increase of population. It is expected that the current total population of 80,000 will be increased by more than threefold to 300,000 in 2020 making Aqaba a semi-mega city with high pressure on infrastructure and services and waste.

Port transfer:

Maybe the main transformation element in the coming years will be the expected transfer of the Aqaba port complexes.

Currently, port activities are located in three different areas and the Aqaba master plan suggests merging these locations. A retail and entertainment complex will center around Aqaba’s Inner Harbour, where cruise ships and ferries will dock. Then, the emplacement of the current inner port will be converted to a mixed-use zone containing retail, commercial residential educational and recreational uses and the main sea port will be transform into an incubator complex where new business engaged in world trade, new technology and bimetal research, new digital technology. The date for this transformation is not yet specified.

It is expected that this process will generate a huge amount of environmental damage especially in the dredging activities and the destruction of corals in the new port location. Impacts will not be confined to the coastal zone where air pollution from dust and construction activities will have drastic impacts on the whole city and its population.

Southern Coastal Zone:

The southern coastal zone is changing its face drastically. Private sector-led development is transforming Aqaba’s southern coast into a tourist place into a new resort community with the construction of a new marina, residential development, and hotel and entertainment facilities. Moreover, a continuous pedestrian and bicycle trail will run the length of the coast.

The tourism attack on the southern coast may cause a lot of economic and political pressure on ASEZA to give away the Marine Park or parts of it to mass tourism activities. The 7 km of shoreline that are currently preserved for environmental protection and sustainable use of marine resources will be very attractive to investors in the future.

Southern Industrial Zone:

The planned reorganisation of existing industrial parcels in the Lower Industrial Area is intended for improving vehicular circulation and while adding more development sites and capacity. Part of this initiative includes a railway terminal and a lower loop roadway. New access roads and extended utility systems are planned to service the industrial expansion area.

The increased activities in the southern industrial zone may get in direct conflict with the tourism potential as well as with the port transfer system.

Airport Industrial Zone:

The airport will soon provide direct runway access to cargo, warehousing, and logistics operations. Land uses in the Zone include warehousing, logistics, distribution, light manufacturing, hi-tech industries, showrooms, and smart-office complexes.

Aqaba Town:

Development in the town will center around the cornice, a continuous pedestrian promenade along the waterfront.

The cornice - a destination in and of itself - of the Main Port will include a lagoon resort community, beach hotel district, and a public beach area in the palm grove.

This is another area that will witness great changes and impacts on the environment with the establishment of the lagoon and the new tourism attraction that will ensure the influx of high rates of tourists that may exceed the environmental carrying capacity in that region that is already having a problem of sea water intrusion and solid waste accumulation.