Rehabilitation of a Historic Wetland - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 94

FIGURE 7.12 ( Continued ) Visitor amenities include a shaded car park, Bedouin-style pic-
nic shelters, trails and boardwalks, observation platforms and interpretive signage, and a
birdwatching shelter in the style of the regional architecture.

becoming the gateway for a booming desert tourism industry (Figure 7.14) that capital-
izes on its proximity to sites of historical interest such as the famous desert “castles”
(Figure 7.15). The idea of Minister Irani and his colleagues is to bring people to the area
not just for purposes of generating local income but also, just as importantly, for pur-
poses of generating national awareness and support. An attractive visitor interpretation
center was key in this regard in that it explains the quarter-million-year history of the
Azraq Oasis (Figure 7.16). Already, design ideas from this Jordanian location are being

FIGURE 7.13 Young water buffalos in rearing pens.