Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and Wetland International, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) has started a new project to conserve the significant water system in Mujib Nature Reserve

The project’s vision is to promote an integrated approach for water-resource planning and management to achieve durable conservation goals for the natural water system in Wadi Mujib at the local level. In addition, the project will contribute to the national and international effort in wetland and natural water ecosystem conservation and management by introducing this new integrated approach as a model that can be replicated in other areas in Jordan and in the Middle East region.

Start date 2007
Expected end date 2013
Funded by the Global Environment Facility, through the World Bank

The Jordan Rift Valley is an integral part of the Great Rift Valley and provides a globally critical land bridge between Africa, Europe, and Asia that supports a large variety of ecologically diverse habitats of international importance and funnels millions of migrating birds between these continents each year. The Valley is of strategic economic importance for its natural resources, including the Jordan River, Dead Sea, and Gulf of Aqaba. In encompasses the most productive agricultural land resources in Jordan and hence has become a focal area for infrastructure and tourism development and land conversion . The Government of Jordan has long recognized this dilemma and is seeking ways to secure the Valley’s economic and ecological integrity for the benefit of its people.


Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM) is defined as a holistic and participatory approach to land use that balances and manages ecological, social and economic components of ecosystems to ensure that the biodiversity and ecological processes can be sustained under development pressure and social change. This approach will be applied in the Jordan Rift Valley through small-scale, targeted interventions in the current land use planning framework and through the setting up of a network of conservation sites that are developed as models of the IEM approach.

A network of sites is to be established along the Valley, consisting of four high status protected areas (PAs). ( Yarmouk, Jabal Masuda, Fifa and Qatar) in addition to seven collaboratively managed Special Conservation Areas (SCAs). The PAs cover a total area of 56.950 hectares and are all delineated on the JVAs land- use master plan. Map 1 

Protected areas: Yarmouk, Jabal Masuda, Fifa and Qatar
Special Conservation Areas: Wadi Ibn Hammad , Tal Al-Arbaeen, Humrat Maeen, and Rahmah. 


To learn more about this project click here.

Protected Areas:

Yarmouk (area 20 km2):

Yarmouk is located in the far northwest part of Jordan to the south of Yarmouk River. The size of the PA is 20sqkm, and the estimated area of SCA is about 26sqkm. The altitude ranges from 300m above sea level to 210 m below sea level. The site is located within the Mediterranean biogeographical region of Jordan.


Yarmouk is considered of very high importance since it is located along one of the major migration flyways for birds . The site also has a high diversity of habitats and species. About 120 plant species were recorded including Deciduous Oak, The national tree of Jordan.


Yarmouk has been identified as an IBA by BirdLife International and it was also identified as a wetland of particular importance in thr Directory of wetlands of the Middle East .

Fifa (proposed area 23.4 Km2):

It is located just to the south of the Dead Sea with a propsed size of 23sqkm but this is to be finalized in consultation with stakeholders. The PA altitude ranges between 340- 380 m below sea level .


Fifa consists of plains with sand and silt dunes covered with halophytic vegetation and sub-tropical vegetation. It has a saline soil wadi system with a small perennial stream that crosses from the south to the north and has created two oasis ecosystems. The site contains the last remnants of what was formerly a much larger area of vegetation characteristic of the Sudanian biogeographical zone.


Fifa was proposed as a protected area by RSCN in 1999. It is embedded within a larger IBA identified by BirdLife and RSCN. The site is already declared a rangeland reserve.


The unique oasis ecosystem in the area is a very important location for migratory birds. It includes more than seven plant species that are of conservation importance. The site is the only recorded locality in Jordan where the rare Siwak tree Salvadora persica occurs in considerable numbers.


Seven species of large mammals were recorded in the site including the Caracal and Striped Hyena. Around 100 species of birds have been recorded ; some are globally threatened such as the Corncrake Crex crex

Qatar (proposed area 49 Km2):

The size of the proposed PA is 49sqkm, the SCAs boundaries will be agreed on upon consultation with the stakeholders. Qatar mudflat area has a very small altitude ranging from 43m to 50m a.s .l . it has a very arid climate; receiving less than 50 mm of rain per year on average .


Qatar PA and SCA consist of a nice and unique combination of different habitats; a mudflat, a wetland, sand dunes and Acacia-dominated slopes.


The mudflat vegetation is unique to the area. The Acacia woodland to the east of the highway is widely regarded as being the most representative example of this habitat in Jordan. The site also has a significant palm  tree community.


Many faunal species of special concern and significance were recorded in the area including Wolf, Desert Monitor, spiny-tailed Lizard, Lesser Kestrel and Egyptian Vulture. Overgrazing and woodcutting are the major threats to the site. Further encroachment of Date Palm farms and water extraction to irrigate the farms are likely to affect the hydrology of the area and may threaten the wetland.

Jabal Masuda (proposed area 295 Km2):

The PA is located in the southern part of Jordan with a size of around 300sqkm, while the exact size and boundaries of the SCA will be agreed upon with consultation with relative stakeholders. Jabal Masuda, has an altitude range of almost 1300 meters, extending from 180m a.s.l in the west to an altitudes of 1500m a.s.l to the east.


 Jabal Masuda straddles three biogeographical zones; arid Mediterranean, Irano-Turanean and Saharo-Arabian. It lies in a region of the Southern Escarpment, Esh Sharrah Plateau and the Rift Valley Desert of Wadi Araba.


The area is very rugged, and the landscape is dominated by steep mountains and sandstone gorges.


In addition to its biodiversity value, the area is well known for its strikingly diverse, mixed and amazing landscape formations.
Overgrazing and woodcutting have had a significant impact on the site and have consequently affected tree and vegetation cover and related biodiversity.

Special Conservation Area

Ibn Hammad:

The area lies north of Karak, ranging in altitude between 800 m a.s.l and 380 m.b.s. Rocky mountainous slopes are cut by a wadi running to the Dead Sea at Ghor Haditha.  All that allow the area to support many threatened plant species including Epipactis veratrifolia as well as Moringa peregina .
The area supports a number of rare animals like the Hyena and Blanford Fox. The presence of several springs holds the presence of the nationally endemic fish species Gara ghorensis and Aphanius dispar.
The area is part of a larger IBA also named wadi Hammad – Haditha, where large numbers of migrant raptors pass every year.
Over – pumping and long drought periods have resulted in sinking the ground water levels, leading to dryness of wadi stream in summer time. The lower part of the area is used for intensive agriculture while the higher part of the wadi has a very high potential for ecotourism .

Homret Maeen :

The area is located at the north of Mujib Reserve and  is mainly composed of a rugged mountainous area with wadi systems flowing into the Dead Sea. The wadi systems have a high biodiversity importance including a huge roosting site for Common Starlings Sturnus vulgaris where around 20,000 birds come to spend the night from autumn to spring.

The area has a large colony of Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis. Few pairs of Barbary falcon Falco pelegrinoides and Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus were recorded breeding in the area.
The site is used by the local communities mostly for winter grazing. The remaining tamarisk woodland of Swaimeh is also considered as a satellite site that will be treated as part of this SCA

Rahmah :

It is considered one of the most pristine areas of desert in wadi araba. It is comprised of a mixture of seasonal wadi systems that meet an outstanding series of undulating sand dunes. The total surface area of this SCA could become the first community –managed conservation area in Jordan that would incorporate biodiversity conservation with ecotourism enterprises and other socio- economic development initiatives

Yarmouk:

The area is located along the largest part of the eastern portion of Yarmouk River and it covers the slopes that overlook the river from the south.
The elevation ranges from 120.0m bsl in the north western parts of the SCA to 380.0 m asl in the south western parts of the SCA , it is the  extension to the PA from east and northern east boundary. the climate is typical Mediterranean, with hot summer days and cool to cold winter days

Ongoing program
Funded by the Hanns Seidel Foundation

This long running program promotes and delivers training courses and capacity building initiatives throughout the Middle East region. It builds upon the accumulated knowledge and professional experience of RSCN in the fields of natural resource management and sustainable conservation approaches. An annual training program is prepared and delivered by RSCN’s Regional Training Unit, which works directly with a group of regional partner organizations, both government and civil society based.

Start date 2005
Expected end date 2010
Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

This project contributes to the conservation of areas of high biodiversity value in the Middle East and North Africa region by stimulating eco-tourism as an income source and vehicle for community and institutional development. It is working on two pilot eco-tourism developments, one at Jaboul Lake in northern Syria and one in the Bekkar Valley in Lebanon. It has also created an interactive network for eco-tourism practitioners that can be accessed through www.ecotourismnet.com

Start date 2006
Expected end date 2010
Funded by the European Commission through the Hanns Seidel Foundation

Sustainable forest management in the Ajloun region of Jordan is the focus of this 4-year project. Using RSCN’s tourism program in the Ajloun Forest Reserve as a catalyst, new nature related businesses are being developed to provide alternative livelihood options to forest clearance and woodcutting for poor rural villagers living around the Reserve. Ultimately, the project aspires to mainstreaming these sustainable livelihood options into government land use strategies for the Ajloun area.

By: Ehab Eid

Mujib Nature Reserve is located in the southern part of the Jordan Rift Valley and extends from Wadi Zarqa Ma’in in the north to Wadi Shqiq in the south, at the western part there is the Dead Sea while the Eastern boarder of the reserve is confined by two Governorates namely Madaba and Karak. The altitude ranges from 420m below sea level which is the lowest point on earth to reach 900m above sea level. The complex drainage system in Mujib Reserve is characterized by three large catchments (Wadi Mujib, Wadi Hidan and Wadi Zarka Ma’in) with permanent water flow all year round. Several other perennial wadis are also present in the reserve including Wadi Atoun, Wadi Abu Retama and Wadi Shegeig. Several springs (Ayn Zara, Hammat Albani etc.) also occur along the wadis. The presences of these wadi systems in Mujib Reserve provide unique habitats for wildlife in the reserve that have national and global importance.

Several water-related issues and constraints are challenging Mujib Nature Reserve including the existing Mujib Dam which has highly affected the life cycle of many species of fauna and flora that are existed in the wadi as it prevents the natural flow for the water through the wadi, especially in the natural flood season; which form the basic stage for the most aquatic wildlife to prepare its natural habitat for breeding and feeding. In addition, the catchment area of Wadi Mujib is inhabited by many agricultural activities with various types of vegetables and some trees. Unfortunately, most of the cultivars cultivated in this area are water-consuming types such as watermelon and tomato as well as using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The impact of cultivation of these crops on water resources in the catchment area is negatively high. In addition, there is a considerable amount of are being used in the catchment.

Moreover, few research activities on natural water system have been carried out since the establishment of the reserve. Accordingly, water management and conservation will be incorporated within the new management plan of Mujib reserve. And lastly, awareness and environmental education in the Mujib area and decision-makers is still weak regarding the water management and conservation and about the importance of natural water system values and services.

To address these challenges and others, and to encourage various relevant stakeholders and targeted local communities to reduce negative impacts on natural water system and its resources in Wadi Mujib, a project was funded through the Wetlands International and the Canadian International Development Agency (WI & CIDA) with new approach to water conservation in MNR. Its approach involved guaranteeing full participation of local communities in conservation. It will promote an integrated approach for water-resource planning and management to achieve durable conservation goals for natural water system in Wadi Mujib at the local level. In addition, it will contribute to the national and international effort in wetland and natural water ecosystem conservation and management by introducing this new integrated approach as a model that can be replicated in other areas in Jordan and in the Middle East region. Through developing an effective partnership with local communities, this project will enhance local access to the benefits of natural water resources using the integrated water-resource management concept in MNR. The conservation, planning and integrated management of natural water resources will be the first priority for this project. Empowerment and capacity building of RSCN, MOE, Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MOWI) and local communities to raise their conservation capacity for natural water resources and understanding its values and services are also a crucial objective of this intervention.

Thus, the project main objective is “To apply an integrated water natural resources management approach in Mujib Nature Reserve that assures a long-term conservation and sustainable use of natural water system in the area". This project will adopt an integrated natural water resources management approaches to promote an integrated, environmentally sound, economically and socially sustainable development in and enhance Wadi Mujib catchment conservation in MNR.