We have a policy of 100% local employment in protected areas.

Eco-tourism, craft enterprises and other small businesses - plus conservation itself - are creating jobs out of protecting nature. All our wildlife sites are centers of employment for local communities and, because we work in remote rural areas, our target communities are among the poorest and most disadvantaged in the Kingdom.

Let’s take the example of Dana Biosphere Reserve, our biggest protected area to date and the most developed for eco-tourism. Before the reserve was established, Dana was used only for goat grazing and hunting by local people and generated very meager incomes. Now the reserve is a significant tourist attraction and is providing many alternative employment and livelihood opportunities. Furthermore, the goat grazing continues largely unaffected and still provides a baseline economy for many people. Hunting, however, has been totally restricted because of its serious impact on the small populations of large wildlife in the reserve.

The variety and number of jobs provided by the Dana Biosphere Reserve are illustrated below:

Direct employment, through RSCN and Wild Jordan: Dana Reserve Manager, 1 Assistant Manager, 10 rangers, 4 guards, 3 Tourism Manager, 1 guesthouse manager, 1 campsite manager, 1 eco-lodge manager, 6 chefs, 8 assistant chefs, 6 tour guides, 23 reception and service staff, 4 drivers, 1 Small business supervisor, 18 artisans and production workers, 2 shop keepers: Total 89 

Direct employment in local village hotels and other service providers: 2 managers, 8 service staff, 2 bus drivers, 10 shuttle drivers, 4 stone collectors and polishers (jewelry): Total 26

Indirect employment and income earners: there are many people who benefit indirectly from tourism, including local shopkeepers and suppliers of food and materials for the lodges and campsites, bus and taxi services, local and national guides and the hotels en-route to the reserve. It is difficult to estimate the numbers accurately, but one assessment has shown that a group of 20 people visiting Dana contributes to at least 30 jobs in some way or other during their stay in Jordan.

Family beneficiaries: the impact of employment and revenue is usually assessed in terms of family beneficiaries; as the additional revenue is most often used to support the well-being of the whole family. In Dana, the average family size is around 8 people, which means that the jobs created by the presence of the Dana Reserve are bringing improved economic and social benefits to around 800 people.