By Hana Namrouqa
MUJIB NATURE RESERVE – The Mujib Nature Reserve is expected to be declared a biosphere reserve at the end of this month, thus achieving international recognition for Jordan’s jewel of eco-tourism, according to officials.
UNESCO is expected to declare the reserve a biosphere on June 28, according to Mujib Nature Reserve Director Hisham Dheisat.
“Once declared, Jordan will become host to two biosphere reserves: Dana Biosphere Reserve and Mujib,” he told reporters during a media tour of the Mujib Nature Reserve over the weekend, organised by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).
Biosphere reserves are internationally recognised areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use, according to the UNESCO website.
Biosphere reserves serve in some ways as “living laboratories” for testing out and demonstrating integrated management of land, water and biodiversity, the website said.
There are over 500 biosphere reserves in over 100 countries, 25 of which are located in the region, Dheisat noted.
UNESCO’s recognition of a site as a nature biosphere can raise awareness on environmental and development issues among local communities and government authorities, according to the agency.