Wadi Rum Protected Area

The first management plan was developed for Wadi Rum in 2003 upon its establishment as a protected area for desert biodiversity and landscape objectives, and then was revised in 2008. In 2010, upon the decision to nominate the WRPA as a mixed World Heritage property, a complete revision was undertaken for the management plan including its baseline for geology, geomorphology, and cultural attributes; and the site changed from being managed as a pure biodiversity hotspot to a complex mixed site of global significance for desert landscapes and rock art. A second revision of the Integrated Management Plan was initiated in mid-2015, and until the adoption of the new management plan, an adaptive approach was used for the current management to include a systematic response to the core management priorities (State Party of Jordan, 2019). A new Integrated Management Plan was endorsed by ASEZA in March 2019. It includes a revised zoning scheme, a tourism and visitor management plan, and a revised buffer zone including new configuration and land use plan (State Party of Jordan, 2019). The implementation of the new Integrated Management Plan is faced with a number of institutional challenges related to the weakened human resources and limited financial resources allocated for plan implementation. Further, the number and level of involvement of donor agencies and technical cooperation partners has declined sharply during the last two years and has declined to lower levels since the global outbreak of COVID-19 (IUCN Consultation, 2020). The main (and possibly) active partnership between the property and a donor is represented by the partnership agreement between ASEZA and the USAID SCHEP initiative which started in 2019 and will continue to 2022 (SCHEP, 2020).

Wadi Rum was included in a national management effectiveness report on Jordan’s protected areas in 2009 undertaken by RSCN. This confirmed that the conservation of Wadi Rum Protected Area from the date of the development of the first management plan has been satisfactory (Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, 2009). Nevertheless, implementation of the management plan was considered by the 2014 mission to be lacking in some areas (UNESCO, IUCN and ICOMOS, 2014). In 2019, the government reports that key challenges to effectively manage the site to World Heritage standards include increasing socioeconomic challenges and pressures related to local communities leading to difficulties in enforcing regulations on the ground, limited financial resources, as well as limited lack of awareness and will of local law enforcement entities to take necessary measures to meet the required level of rule of law, as well as other factors (State Party of Jordan, 2019). A submission to nominate Wadi Rum to be included on the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas is planned for 2020 (State Party of Jordan, 2019).

The boundaries of the property include the key cultural and natural attributes and are well designed. The boundaries of the property have been clearly defined and the 5 km buffer zone surrounding the property is adequately configured to address threats to the area arising from outside its boundaries. However, despite the fact that the staff has acceptable levels of capacity/resources to enforce protected area legislation regulations, they have no legal authority outside the boundary of the protected area (Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, 2009). The ongoing management plan revision includes a major initiative to re-design the Buffer Zone and develop a unified agreed upon vision translated into a set of management scenarios and clear guidelines for land use management, thus creating the anticipated functional buffer zone, effectively contributing to the protection of the OUV (State Party of Jordan, 2016). A full revision of the buffer zone was undertaken through a comprehensive planning process engaging local and national stakeholders, completed in late 2018 and endorsed by ASEZA in early 2019. The government intends to submit a request for a minor boundary modification in 2020 (State Party of Jordan, 2019).

Wadi Rum is recognized as part of Jordan’s national protected area network and as such is included in periodical national protected area reporting (e.g. CBD report no 4). The Protected Area was established in 1997 following cabinet decisions, and recognized as an archaeological site under a law of the Department of Antiquities (World Heritage Committee, 2011). The Jordanian government has delegated management of the majority of national protected areas to the NGO Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN). However due to its location within the Aqaba Governorate, management authority for Wadi Rum sits with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), which raises questions about consistency of management as well as issues of capacity and an appropriate focus on natural and cultural heritage management.

In 2014, ASEZA and the Department of Antiquities (DoA) signed a framework agreement on the conservation and management of the cultural values of the property (MoU 2014-2016). The agreement gives a clear technical authority to DoA to oversee all research, management and monitoring activities related to the cultural values as represented by the property’s OUV, and as such, represents an important breakthrough in the capacity to study, manage and monitor the cultural heritage of the property. The MOU is perceived as an effective national mechanism to ensure the coordination of the long term conservation and sustainability of the cultural values of the property (State Party of Jordan, 2016). Tourism planning in Jordan is acknowledged as necessary for sustainable development (Omari, 2018).

Jordan does not have a unified legally recognized conservation standard or guidelines for archaeological sites, however, a limited number of cultural sites conservation activities were implemented in WRPA, and based on this, the DoA proposed to use the WRPA example as a demonstration case for the development of the needed standard and guidelines in 2017. It will be important that a multi-stakeholder process is adopted, and that results achieved should then be fed into a nationally agreed upon standard and set of guidelines for the conservation of cultural heritage sites (State Party of Jordan, 2016).

The development of the management plan was a participatory process with the local communities involved in the development of the zoning and permitted activities (State Party of Jordan, 2018). Traditional subsistence grazing and fuel collection is permitted whilst hunting has been banned. Local employment is fostered with many park management staff being local Bedouin people. Local communities are accessing economic benefits of tourism through commercial nature based tourism activities such as licenced tourism operators and local handicraft industries (IUCN, 2011). There are increasing levels of local conflicts over scarce resources (especially in regard to tourism), and increased levels of poverty affected by increased inflation and unemployment rates (Abulhawa et al, 2014).

The legal and governance framework is strong, with traditional land tenure reportedly coexisting with legislative gazettal of the Protected Area. Traditional land tenure relates to grazing use, not ownership, but now extends to areas covered by licensed tour operators who operate only within their traditional tribal areas (IUCN, 2011). Management of Wadi Rum sits with ASEZA. A National Protected Areas Management Effectiveness Report noted weak synchronization between national law and ASEZA regulation, as PA staff have no legal authority once outside the boundary of the PA, whereas they should have a mandate from national law to control inappropriate land use activities around the PA boundary. The 2014 Reactive Monitoring mission also noted a lack of coordination between departments and between regional and national institutions (UNESCO, ICOMOS and IUCN, 2014). In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU 2014-2016) was signed between the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/DoA and ASEZA in May 2015. Significant progress in implementation has been noted (UNESCO, 2018). Several legal deficiencies of the current by-law and legislative framework governing WRPA have been problematic, and are in need of revision and further development (Abulhawa et al, 2014). A set of regulations for land use in the buffer zone have been developed (State Party of Jordan, 2019), but it is not clear whether they have entered into law. In 2019, ASEZA approved new regulations for licensing, management and control of tourism activities in the property and the buffer zone (State Party of Jordan, 2019).

Ranger patrols include compliance and enforcement work, although there is little information on ranger capacity or effectiveness of compliance (Abulhawa et al, 2014). The local rangers are supported by staff in ASEZA, who work closely with the local judicial system (IUCN, 2011). A legal suit against all seven illegal tourist camps has been prepared and submitted, in addition to legal warnings against at least a dozen impermanent camp-like installations, which are considered by the State Party to be attempts at land grabbing (UNESCO, 2016). The local team's capacity to enforce site related regulations (especially those related to tourism activities) appears to have been declining in the last 1-2 years due to a multitude of factors including lack of support from judicial entities, limited human and logistical resources, and more recently, the impacts attributed to the global pandemic (IUCN Consultation, 2020).  

In response to the most recent Committee Decision 42 COM 7B.67, regarding the request to "ensure that the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) provides for effective management of the property and its buffer zone", an updated IMP has been developed. Regarding plans for development of a sewage treatment plant, only a preliminary study of the tourist camps has been completed to date, with a similar study for the village anticipated for 2020. A land use plan for the buffer zone is included in the IMP. A system and regulations to license tourist camps has been articulated in 2019 but not yet fully implemented. Integration of cultural and natural heritage databases is ongoing, but exact status is unclear. On the firm request for HIA/EIA on tourism activities, one staff member has received some training, and a technical advisor has been resourced, with an intent to begin in 2020. The State Party submitted a State of Conservation report in December 2019. On the whole, implementation of committee requests remain largely aspirational and in the planning stages.

Whilst there is some permitted subsistence woody fuel collection and pastoral grazing by local communities, these are currently thought to be within sustainable limits. The national authorities have agreed to develop terms of reference for the Environmental Impact Assessment/Heritage Impact Assessment (EIA/HIA). Specific technical guidance and support was to be requested from UNESCO and its advisory bodies (IUCN and ICOMOS) on good practices derived from international experience. The tourism development and visitors’ management strategy and plan for the WRPA will be amended to adopt the outcomes of the EIA/HIA results, and are to be reflected in the revision of the integrated management plan (State Party of Jordan, 2016). In 2018 and 2019, staff training included EIA/HIA courses and it is reported that EIA/HIAs for tourism activities in the property will be implemented in 2020 (State Party of Jordan, 2019). It remains to be seen what impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on tourism and therefore these assessments.

A Wadi Rum Development Fund was established in 2001 to ensure the area’s financial and institutional stability. The income from entrance fees goes to the national treasury and is reimbursed to ASEZA as an annual budget. The staff are supported by both national agencies and international aid. In 2009, the site received JD1.3 million (US$1,834,940) for operation and management, supplemented by funds in 2006-7 from the USAID SIYAHA tourism development project and JD1 million (US$1,411,490) from Abu Dhabi for Oryx reintroduction (IUCN, 2011).

Wadi Rum is the highest funded PA in Jordan, and is also the only PA in Jordan which has its own bylaw including provisions on financing security (including the Wadi Rum development fund). Despite this, government spending only covers operational costs, and WRPA suffers from low investment in site development funding (development of infrastructure and programs, and recruitment of staff) due to an economic crisis triggered by regional instability and resulting decline in visitor numbers. In light of this, ASEZA adopted a strategy to ensure adequate funding, to be included in the 2017 Integrated Management Plan (State Party of Jordan, 2016).

In 2019, the ASEZA Board of Commissioners adopted a financial plan to implement the Integrated Management Plan 2019-2023, which was linked to a strategic feasibility assessment associated with the resources needed for the effective management of the WRPA, and which includes a revised structure for entrance fees and tourism services fees, revised government allocation, and a system of self-financing for new projects (State Party of Jordan, 2019).

With over 80 staff, many being local Bedouin, staff numbers and indigenous representation are considered adequate. However, staff capacity and capabilities could be further improved, especially in administration, Oryx reintroduction, and tourism units in order to effectively accomplish the protected area management objectives (Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, 2009). Recent aid projects have provided good quality staff buildings, equipment, and visitor centre (IUCN, 2011). Capacity building for natural heritage staff is supported by IUCN-ROWA, Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), and UNESCO ARC-WH, but cultural staff are not included in this. A joint program with the UNESCO Jordan office was to address this shortcoming (Abulhawa et al, 2014), and the 2016-2017 planning and budgeting process included the planned recruitment and installation of two new specialists in cultural and natural science management on-site, as a matter of priority (UNESCO, 2016). Also, the WRPA interpretation program was to be redeveloped in 2016, with one of the outputs being a series of training activities targeting the local staff, community organizations and tourism services providers on the utilization of the new interpretation program. The MoU between ASEZA and DoA calls for the installation of a technical specialist to be based in Wadi Rum and maintain linkages between WRPA and DoA (State Party of Jordan, 2016). In 2019, ASEZA created a "specialized management unit" in Rum village to provide infrastructure improvements such as waste water tanks, solid waste collection, drinking water, a new flood water drainage channel, etc. WRPA staff participated in two trainings preparatory to an HIA/EIA study for the property planned for 2020 (State Party of Jordan, 2019). Further, an MOU between ASEZA and the USAID SCHEP project was signed in late 2019 and includes significant technical cooperation related to institutional and staff capacities development for WRPA (SCHEP, 2020). The program will include a new generation of site management professionals, conducting a series of training activities on heritage research, planning, management and monitoring, and deploying a number of national experts to provide technical support and mentorship to the local team. The cooperation agreement also includes the establishment of the knowledge data base for the cultural/natural inventories and the establishment of an open learning centre on site (OLC).

The Wadi Rum visitor management plan states that ongoing site-based education programs have been established via school nature clubs in the Quweira district and other visiting schools focused on awareness raising of environmental issues. Since Wadi Rum became a World Heritage site relatively recently, there had been no proper interpretation, communication, or promotion of the World Heritage property as a whole. In 2015, sufficient funds were secured through a partnership with UNDP to redevelop the site interpretation program. This included restructuring the main visitor center to be based on the site's OUV, installing a new set of road signage and interpretation materials targeting local communities and visitors, and restructuring the visitors’ reception point in terms of location, nature and quality of information provided to visitors (State Party of Jordan, 2016). A cooperation agreement (MoU) was signed for 2019-2022 with the American Center for Oriental Research (USAID), which includes an open learning environment on cultural heritage (State Party of Jordan, 2019). Local people are being trained in using the Rock Art Sustainability Index, a phone app assessment tool (Andrews, 2019).

Popular tourist activities include climbing, off-road driving, camel riding, hiking, and camping. Wadi Rum has benefitted significantly from the USAID Jordanian Tourism Project Siyaha and other aid initiatives focused on supporting tourism development. Tour operators are licensed and managed by the Wadi Rum protected area staff and receive training and education sessions on natural and cultural heritage. A visitor management plan for the site was developed as part of the management planning process in 2003 (IUCN, 2011; UNESCO, IUCN and ICOMOS, 2014). The updated 2019-2023 IMP recognises the threats of tourism pressure to the values of the site and provides a series of management responses (ASEZA, 2019). In response to the World Heritage Committee's concerns regarding the fifteen active tourist camps (seven of which are unlicensed) and unsustainable tourism (UNESCO, 2018), in 2019 the government stated that this remains the biggest challenge facing the property management due to its socioeconomic sensitivity and management difficulties, and is implementing various measures including new laws, strengthening law enforcement capacity, awareness raising, and EIA/HIAs for tourism infrastructure (State Party of Jordan, 2019). Ensuring effective tourism management will be one of the most important areas of focus going forward. The implementation of the ambitious management plan seems to have been facing significant challenges due to the decreased budget allocated to site management, the regressing capacities of the local team in charge of tourism management and foreseen impacts of the global pandemic. The low number of visitors resulting from the global pandemic could serve as a useful opportunity for ASEZA HQ and the site management team to start the implementation of the new tourism management strategy including needed monitoring and control over unsustainable tourism activities (i.e. desert camps, off-road vehicles) (IUCN Consultation, 2020).

With the exception of the intensively managed Arabian Oryx Re-introduction program, monitoring of the biodiversity values of Wadi Rum has long been carried out informally. However, in 2015, it was agreed that the informal system would be fully activated and turned into a systematic documentation process starting in 2016. Periodic reports from such a documentation process will be included in the standard reporting adopted for the implementation of the integrated management plan and will be shared with UNESCO. Also, the joint WRPA/DoA team started a comprehensive field investigation on the status of key archaeological and rock art sites along with formulating a specific monitoring program (State Party of Jordan, 2016).

The 2019-2023 IMP recognises a lack of monitoring and enforcement mechanisms as a factor affecting the cultural values of the site, and includes plans to implement an effective integrated monitoring and research program for the cultural and natural values and attributes of the site (ASEZA, 2019).

Research recommendations are incorporated and adopted in the protected area management plan. However, there are some difficulties in implementing these recommendations. Moreover, there are some concerns on how to use the results of the research programs in the decision making process especially during the implementation of the protected area management plan (Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, 2009). An MoU signed in 2014 by ASEZA and the DoA includes provisions for the establishment of a unified cultural heritage database, which has since been integrated into the DoA’s national cultural databank. Submission of a specific request for International Assistance to complete the database was envisaged for 2016, and a fully operational database was anticipated later that same year (UNESCO, 2016). Specific measures should be addressed in the Management Plan to document and conserve local traditional knowledge and practices through audio-visual production and academic research, and to ensure high levels of knowledge sharing, joint learning, and collaboration (State Party of Jordan, 2016). The new 2019 cooperation program between ASEZA and USAID SCHEP has the potential to revise and activate a new research and monitoring system for the property. This will be supported by the number of national technical experts deployed, the new local interns recruited and the establishment of the Open Learning Centre with the property knowledge platform (SCHEP, 2020).