|
Initiatives by topicCommunity involvementEthical consumerismwikipedia:Ecotourism in Jordan: has grown tremendously due to environmental pressures and the demand for jobs outside of the cities, especially since the establishment of the Dana Biosphere in 1993, the first biosphere reserve. Eco-tourism has generated tremendous revenue for the country and the rural communities in the nature reserves. The RSCN has a 100% local employment policy in all their protected areas, resulting in eco-tourism directly supporting around 160,000 families throughout Jordan. It is the local communities' involvement in these nature reserves that makes eco-tourism a success. The local communities contribute to eco-tourism by leading tours and hikes, working in the lodges and restaurants, transporting people and resources, and other various jobs. Manual labor is used more than machines, providing a smaller impact on the environment and more jobs. Community members originally relied on hunting and herding for income. Now, with the wide variety of jobs, there is less hunting and a better standard of living. Herding was once sustainable, but with population growth there was too much pressure on the diverse plants and grazing area. Hunting was decreasing biodiversity and endangering animals like the Nubian ibex. Now, these animals are used as a tourist attraction rather than food. The communities still graze their herds, but they keep significantly less and respect no grazing areas. Furthermore, eco-tourism is also helping to revive communities. With the help of USAID, the city of Dana, near the Dana Biosphere Reserve, is rebuilding fifty-seven historic houses. The goal of the project is to bring back the community members who left the poor city in search of work. Through eco-tourism, poverty is reduced, the environment is protected, and heritage is restored. However, despite the economic benefits, eco-tourism is not without controversy. Eco-tourism projects, especially in the beginning, are not always as environmentally conscious as possible. Food activism |
News and comment2016 Light of Hope in the Middle of the Crisis: Solar Power to Light Up Syrian Refugee Camp in Jordan, Dec 3 [1] 2015 Jordan’s 6,000 Mosques Will Soon All Have Rooftop Solar, February 25 [2] 2010 Clean Up the World weekend: In a demonstration of the support the campaign receives from the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the staff of the Australian Embassy in Amman, Jordon will host an environmental education day for Pella locals. Joining in on the activities will be a local environmental organisation, Friends of the Earth Middle East, and school children from the Jordan Valley area. [3] September 15 Blogs ResourcesMapsSee alsoInterwiki linksWikipedia: Jordan External links
|
