Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ECOTOURISM
Effects of Tourism
The impact on the environment of mass tourism is an issue that is under constant review.
Tourism has caused a rapid increase in pollution from cars and industries, and has exacer-
bated the demand for precious water. In addition, vandalism and unwitting damage to sites
such as Jerash and Petra (see the boxed text,
Click here
)
, the effects of flash photography
on fragile rock art, and rubbish left at hot springs and baths have made some people won-
der whether tourism is worth the trouble.
But it is not all doom and gloom. In a region
only recently concerned with conservation, it's
refreshing to discover that Jordan is ahead of the
game. Not only are the authorities keen to pro-
mote sustainable tourism with regard to Jordan's
natural heritage, they are also keen to maintain
the country's cultural heritage by preserving
Islamic values, supporting arts and craft initiat-
ives, and supporting traditional lifestyles (as
with the employment of Bedouin drivers in Wadi Rum) within the constrains of tourism.
The RSCN has been at the forefront of attempts to promote a more sustainable form of
tourism through its various ecotourism projects (for more information,
Click here
)
. Such
projects provide a major means of funding environmental programs.
Of course it's not easy balancing the need for
increased tourism against the environmental
cost of more visitors. For example, tourism rev-
enue at Wadi Rum is needed for the upkeep of
the protected area, but it's hard to minimise the
impact of more feet and wheels upon a fragile
desert ecosystem. A balance can be achieved,
however, with the cooperation of visitors.
By 2013 Jordan expects to extract 100 million cu
metres of water a year from the 30,000-year-old
aquifer in Diseh near Wadi Rum. The near-billion-
dollar project will have taken four years to com-
plete, involving the drilling of 55 wells and build-
ing of a 325km pipeline from Diseh to Amman.
Jordan's nature reserves represent about 1% of
Jordan's total land area - a small percentage com-
pared with land allocated in Saudi Arabia (9%) and
the USA (11%). When measured as a ratio of habit-
able land versus size of population, however, the
figure is considerably more generous.
