AMMAN – The
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature worked over the last couple of days, which witnessed
very cold weather conditions, to protect reserves in Jordan, and implement
plans in place to deal with tourists.
اضافة اعلان
RSCN Director Khaled Al Irani told
Jordan
News that the staff and inspectors working in the reserves are mainly people from
their respective regions, which ensures that they are present in the reserve all
the time, especially on days when difficult weather conditions prevail.
"Our duty is to preserve what
is in and around the reserves borders, so we are working to help the local
community and individuals, in addition to monitoring the environmental situation
within a reserve's borders," said Irani.
The largest RSCN intervention is to “help
people from the local community and tourists, as weather conditions are natural
conditions that rarely cause significant damage to nature, unlike in cities
whose infrastructure is affected”, he said.
RSCN has administrative plans for
each reserve, depending on location and circumstances, he added. These plans entail
inspection tours, security and environment monitoring, and area zoning to
determine how safe a reserve is for tourism.
Irani said that the reserves most
vulnerable to accumulation of snow, such as Dana, Dibeen, and Ajloun reserves, did
not suffer any significant damage during the last two days of inclement
weather, but that the Shawmari, Azraq, and Burqu reserves, located in the
eastern regions, were affected by the torrential rains, which is good because
they supply the groundwater and increase the grazing areas for animals.
Amer Rfou, director of Jordan’s largest
reserve, Dana, in Tafileh Governorate, told
Jordan News that the reserve has a
plan of action and is in continuous cooperation with the
Ministry of Agriculture,
the Tafileh Tourism Directorate and RSCN, and that closure of the reserve is
agreed upon in cooperation with the administrator of the Tafileh Governorate.
He added that the inspection teams
are working around the clock in the reserve to prevent any violation, such as
hunting, logging or grazing. The inspectors’ tours are done jointly with members
of the community and Ministry of Agriculture employees, and that safe places
are provided for the inspectors to stay on the reserve to ensure its protection
all day.
Rfou said the reserve is closed to
tourists during bad weather, to protect them from any potential danger, but
Dana guesthouse is usually totally opened to tourists, and is stocked with all
necessary provisions in case of weather emergency.
In cases of total closure, tourists
are notified in advance so they can extend or cancel their reservations.
"Tourists rarely cancel their
reservations in such cases, as there are people who prefer this cold weather to
spend their time in the Tafileh Governorate, specifically for the beauty of
nature there," said Rfou.
Last time weather conditions were
adverse, the guesthouse did not stop working, and that those in charge of it
provided the visitors with all requirements, including heating and supplies, Rfou
said. However, the tourist paths in the reserve were closed to preserve the
safety of visitors, said Rfou.
The reserve covers a large area at
different altitudes, ranging from 1,600 meters above sea level to 100 meters
below sea level, so the animals are safe in different weather conditions, as
they move by nature to the most appropriate area within the reserve, he added.
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