RSCN announces establishment of Burqu Reserve in Northeastern Badia

AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) announced the establishment of Burqu Reserve in the Northeastern Badia region, preparing to receive guests after having made the necessary arrangements.

Located 250 kilometres east of Amman, Burqu Reserve covers an area of 2,982 square kilometres within the municipality limits of Mafraq, according to a RSCN statement sent to The Jordan Times on Sunday.

Burqu Reserve is regarded to be one of the locations listed on Jordan’s first study conducted by the RSCN on natural reserves, which suggested having 4 per cent of Jordan’s total land area as protected areas, the statement said.

The survey, known as the Clark Study, also defined 12 different areas of conservation importance, which encompass the Kingdom’s various ecosystems that shaped the basis of the national plan for developing the network of Jordan’s protected areas.

Protected Areas Director at the RSCN Maen Smadi said in the statement that “the Northeastern Badia is considered to be one of the regions with great opportunities to develop community-based ecotourism products due to the existence of archaeological sites and tourist attractions”.

Smadi added that the reserve is a developmental project, geared towards improving the living conditions and quality of life of the local community.

“The RSCN endeavours to protect and maintain the rich biodiversity, through the establishment of Burqu Reserve,” Burqu Reserve Manager Mahmoud Bdour told The Jordan Times over the phone on Sunday.

Bdour said that the reserve has “a particular significance”, whereas it is situated on the second major migratory birds flyaway in Jordan, noting that it gears towards consolidating the concept of eco-tourism as a form of “responsible tourism for sustainable development without affecting the lives of local residents”.

“This reserve contributes in identifying the traditions and culture of the area,” he said.