This article was originally published by the Star newspaper, Monday 24-1-2010 By: Batir Wardam   The year 2010 has been declared by the United Nations as the year of Biodiversity. All countries that have signed the UN Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) back in 1992 will have to assess their progress in achieving the Biodiversity 2010 target that was agreed by the CBD in 2004 where... [read more]

Source: The Jordan Times   By Hana Namrouqa   The Ministry of Environment has sent a memorandum to the Cabinet, proposing that the Yarmouk River Basin be designated as the Kingdom’s eighth nature reserve. The Yarmouk River Basin was selected to become a nature reserve due to its unique ecosystem and because it houses threatened species, Minister of Environment Khalid Irani said... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times 19 June 2009   By Susan Lawrence Helke   Long a destination for divers who want to experience the wonders of the Red Sea, the Aqaba Marine Park is currently threatened by the effects of global warming, according to environmentalists. Known for its garden-like coral formations and abundance of marine life, the park is being confronted with the negative... [read more]

Source: The National   Vesela Todorova   The first step was recognition, but for Wadi Wurayah the hard work is still to come. It has been a month since the country’s first protected mountain area was established in Fujairah. But for the team behind the project there is a long way to go to preserve the area, one of the country’s richest and most diverse habitats. A big problem... [read more]

This is the press coverage by the Jordan Times of the launche of the capacity Building for  Zarqa River Rehabilitation project, implemented by the Ministry of Environment and funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development. I happen to be the project coordinator and will hopefully post more in-depth information in the coming few days.   By Hana Namrouqa   AMMAN... [read more]

An innovative tool for environmental education and awareness from lebanon, that can be spread to the region. This is a report by the Daily Star   By Marc Abizeid This year the Ibsar Nature Conservation Center for Sustainable Futures decided to take on a new approach to spreading environmental awareness and gaining support for their activities. Instead of relying on sympathetic donors... [read more]

A new regional project hopes to protect the flyway of soaring migratory birds in the Middle east area, coordinated from Jordan. This is the report published by the Jordan Times today   By Hana Namrouqa   Jordan and neighbouring states have joined forces in a project to protect migratory birds flying on the Rift Valley-Red Sea route, officials said yesterday. Implemented locally... [read more]

Fellow blogger Naseem Tarawnah is doing a great job writing in the Jordanian monthly magazine Jordan Business. His style is well articulated and the articles are always very well researched. His latest feature in Jordan Business was a comprehensive insight into the business of sustainable use of biodiversity and ecotourism in Jordan. Here is the full text of the article, while the link is here ... [read more]

Faced with many anthropogenic and natural threats, the majestic isalnd of Socotra is in big need for conservation and sustainable use. UNESCO is being asked by the EU to consider the island as an environmental heritage, but where is the official position of the Yemeni government?   Source: Yemen Observer Mohammed al-Kibsi   The European Union called on the United Nations Education... [read more]

By: Hana Namrouqa Jordan Times   Jordan has become an eco-tourism leader in the Mediterranean region and many of its nature reserves are currently on the world tourism map, demonstrating a model of sustainable development, according to Wild Jordan Director Chris Johnson. Johnson told The Jordan Times in a recent interview that he spoke about Jordan’s 14-year journey in ecotourism at the... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times By Hana Namrouqa   The Kingdom’s one per cent area covered with forest trees is now, more than before, facing the threat of increasing illegal logging. Setting off the deforestation alarm, agriculture and environment officials pointed to the Jerash, Dibbeen and Ajloun areas as hot spots. Sources familiar with the issue differ on whom to blame on the arbitrary deforestation... [read more]

By: Batir Wardam Weekly article published by Star newspaper-Jordan     The Social Security Corporation (SSC) declared that it has donated its ownership of a portion of Dibbin Forest to be added to the already existing Dibbin Nature Reserve, run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). This is a positive conclusion of the environmental-economic fiasco that has erupted last year... [read more]

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced the success of its campaign to plant 1.0 billion trees in 2007 as an effort in fighting climate change and combating desertification. In a joint press conference with Prof. Wangari Maathai, the inspiration behind the initiative and Nobel Laureate, UNEP's Executive Directorn Achim Steiner said: "I am delighted to say that an initiative to... [read more]

At last some good news emerging from Iraq. After decades of systematic destruction and neglecance, the marshes area in Iraq is about to be restored to its dazzling nature. The wetlands are considered as aunique ecosystem at the global level but were destroyed in the 1980s in an attempt to control the security area between the Iraqi-Iranian borders during the 8 years war between the two countries.... [read more]

Wild plant species are not only beautiful or compose the nasic ingredients of ecosystem but they can also be a remarkable source for well being by providing medicinal uses and subsequently income generating activities that can help communities to overcome the burden of poverty. One such example of sustainable use and conservation of medicinal plants in Jordanian Badia (desert) is provided by this... [read more]

For a long time ex-situ and genetic resources conservation efforts were not considered as a high priority in the Arab World although the region contains a lot of the global wealth of plant genetic diversity. One impressive breakthrough was announced a few days ago with the creation of the "first" gene bank in Africa and the Arab World in Tunisia. I am not really certain whether this is really the... [read more]

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) has stated it will establish four new nature reserves in one of the most vulnerable and threatened ecosystems in Jordan: the Jordan Valley. The reserves will be a result of a new project for the integrated ecosystem management of Jordan Valley. This is the report from Jordan Times   By Hana Namrouqa   AMMAN - Four new nature reserves... [read more]

You would not think that Libya can get any greener. With an all green flag, and a political ideology that is based on the "green book" Libya has adopted the green approach in its state management at all levels. However the chance is there for a new wave of "green policy" in Libya based on green and sustainable tourism. Many global media outlets were really excited last week with the news that Saif... [read more]

A good comination of innovative ideas and financial resources can yield some extraordinary results. This will be demonstrated yet again in Saudi Arabia where the barren dry country will host the world's biggest stystem of botanical gardens and landscsapes. Spreading over an area of 160 hectares (395 acres) the gardens aim to re-create the 400 million-year-old history of the Earth's plants, trees... [read more]

While thinking of which Arab sites can be nominated for the new 7 natural wonders campaign which has started right after the end of the New Seven Wonders competition which saw Petra as a winner, I was trtying to see how many Arab sites are actually inscribed in the official UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. I know they are not too much and I know that one site in Oman was deleted recently for failing... [read more]

For the first time in its history, UNESCO World Heritage Programme had to take the bad decision of removing one site from its glamorous list of global natural wonders, and the site in question is an Arabian Oryx sanctuary in Oman.   No bad feelings in politics, however. The Omani government was the one asking for removal of the site from the list and both UNESCO and IUCN had to comply, according... [read more]

Source: Reuters June 18 2007 By Bonny Apunyu   Algerian environmentalists on Sunday urged the Algerian government to protect a major Mediterranean wetland threatened by the construction of a $11-billion (around R78.1-billion) highway seen by the authorities as key to boosting Maghreb trade. news sources said the environmentalists warned in a petition to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika... [read more]

An interesting regional project is trying to incorporate the values of biodiversity conservation in ecotourism projects in three Arab countries: Jordan, Syria and Lebanon through the replication of the Dana Wild life Reserve- Ecotourism model in Jordan. The aim of the BCTE project is to contribute to biodiversity conservation and at the same time to contribute to poverty alleviation through employment... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times 27-5-2007   Representatives from seven Arab countries convened in Wadi Rum last week to look into the reintroduction of the Arabian Oryx into countries of the Arabian Peninsula, which are considered its original habitat. During the two-day meeting, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Chief Commissioner Nader Dahabi briefed members of the coordination committee... [read more]

The Jordan Times- May 4th 2007 By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN —  The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) has officially opened the Ajloun Forest Reserve as a captive breeding ground for the once extinct Roe Deer. The environmental society reintroduced this species from Turkey in 1989, but only released them into the 13-square-kilometre reserve last year, ending more than 70 years of extinction... [read more]

Source: Jordan Times   By Linda Hindi AMMAN —  The Royal Botanic Garden, under development in the Tel Al Rumman area, will not only give Jordanians a beautiful place to visit but also serve as an inheritance gift for future generations. “Our aim through the establishment of the Royal Botanic Garden in Jordan is to make it a centre to enhance public education, scientific research, tourist... [read more]

It is not often regular to see daily newspapers in the Arab World focusing on environmental issues in their editorials, let alone the welfare of animals. It was a welcome change to the better as the Jordan Times decided to run an editorial on "compassion to animals" in its Friday 23rd edition. As the Jordan Times has not managed to developed a online archive for its articles I will post the whole... [read more]

For the past 2-3 months the environmental community in Jordan was engaged in a complex debate with many stakeholders over the establishment of a mega tourism project in the natural forest of Dibbin, one of Jordan's very few natural forest systems that comprise less than 1% of the country's land area. The proposed project to be installed by the Jordan Dubai Capital Co. includes building of a massive... [read more]

Press release from UNEP Regional office for West Asia (ROWA):   Manama, 19 February, 2007, The United Nation Environment Programme/Regional Office of West Asia organized a Capacity Building and Coordination Meeting for the Arab Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Team in Manama-Kingdom of Bahrain. The goal of the meeting is to build capacity on the concept of integrated ecosystem assessment and... [read more]

By Assem Abi Ali Special to The Daily Star RAMLIEH, Aley: Eco-tourism suffered greatly during the summer 2006 war with Israel, and one of the main victims was the Aley village of Ramlieh, where local investors and other stakeholders had been planning an extensive program before hostilities broke out on July 12. Ramlieh was at the vanguard of Lebanese villages seeking to cash in on eco-tourism,... [read more]