Dana Nature Reserve Integrated Management Programme
Case Study C0110
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| Date | 2000 |
| Agence | Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) |
| Agence de distributeur | GEF UNDP World Bank Convention of International Trade in Endangered Animal and Plant Species (CITES) Ministry of Agriculture, Jordan Department of General Defense, Jordan |
| Type de projet | Implemented by agency |
| Circonstance | Protected area |
| Couverture géographique | Jordan |
| Localité | Dana Reserve area |
| Foyer de biodiversité | Ecosystem/landscape |
| Foyer de développement | Local communities |
| Buts de conservation | Contribute to the management of the Reserve as a site of international importance for nature conservation, scenic and archaeological significance |
| Buts de réduction de pauvreté | Improve the socio-economic welfare and capacity building of the local communities |
Résumé
The people in the Dana Reserve area are among the poorest and most disadvantaged in Jordan. At the beginning of the project, there were several thousand people from nomadic and settled communities using its natural resources, mostly for hunting and the grazing of goats and sheep. The impact of this use on the ecology was obvious to see in terms of degraded rangeland soil erosion, and almost zero tree regeneration.
In 1993 a unique Programme began in the Dana Wildlands of southern Jordan, under the supervision of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), a long established NGO with a mandate to establish and manage protected areas. The Programme was the first attempt in Jordan, and probably the Middle East, to try and link the conservation of biodiversity with the socio-economic development targeting local communities living in and around the protected area. Priorities of the programme were established through baseline assessments of the ecology and local communities by RSCN, and a resource use study was carried out to define stakeholders. The main priorities were: to contribute to the management of the site as an integral part of the Jordanian national heritage, and as a site of international importance for nature conservation, scenic and archaeological significance; to provide for the socio-economic welfare and capacity building of the local communities, and to create partnerships with the communities and involve them in the management of the Reserve and in the decision making process.
Until now, a total of 179 local men and women have benefited directly from jobs or purchase of goods and services and consequently some of the Dana households have experienced a 10-fold increase in income as a result of the programme. More importantly, the villagers themselves have started to exploit the growing number of tourists attracted by the protected area, and are creating home-grown initiatives which represent a visible example of the capacity building within the local community resulting from the programme's emphasis on income generation. Further, the ecology of the area is recovering due to sustainable eco-tourism practices and decreased pressure on the natural resources as a result of socio-economic benefits to the people.
On account of it's success and excellent progress, the Dana Nature Reserve Integrated Management Programme has become a national and regional model for other nature reserves and protected areas in the Middle East.
Impact de conservation
The ecology of the area is recovering due to sustainable eco-tourism practices and decreased pressure on the natural resources as a result of socio-economic benefits to the people. In particular, population trends of wildlife in the Reserve are improving, and a biological corridor has been established which will maintain the integrity of representative ecosystems of the Reserve.
Impact de réduction de pauvreté
179 local people are employed by the Reserve, and employment has returned half a million dollars to the communities, which translated in a 10-fold increase in income for households. Income received from tourists has covered 100% of the Reserve's running costs since 1998.
Stratégie pour les interactions entre conservation et pauvreté
Enabling local participation in policy-/decision- making processes
Provision of alternative livelihoods
Sustainable Use
Référence numéro 1
http://www.bestpractices.org/database/bp_display_best_practice.php?best_practice_id=393
Référence numéro 2
http://tcdc.undp.org/experiences/vol9/Jordan_v9_23-28.pdf
Plus d'information
Khaled Irani,RSCN
Phone: 00962 3 368 497/8
E-mail: dhana@rscn.org.jo
Related records above this one:
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (Organisation O0146)
- Global Environment Facility (GEF) (Organisation O0026)
- World Bank (Organisation O0145)