RSCN to develop recovery plan for Yarmouk Nature Reserve in wildfire aftermath

AMMAN — Field visits to Yarmouk Nature Reserve are to be conducted to implement a recovery plan following the outbreak of wildfires, said Othman Tawalbeh, director of protected areas at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

Tawalbeh told The Jordan Times on Thursday that “several field visits will be coordinated with specialised professionals working in agricultural research and a detailed survey will be conducted as well.”

He noted that wildfire recovery planning is developed depending on the situation and each plan differs. For instance, he noted, some areas will be recovered through landscape treatment and other areas through reforestation and robust protection.

“We will be working collaboratively with experts, to come up with the best ways to support the recovery process,” he said.

Wildfires broke out in the Yarmouk Nature Reserve on May 14. Indicators show that arson was the most likely cause of the fire, particularly given that the area where the blaze started is a restricted zone.

According to the RSCN website, Yarmouk Forest Reserve is located in the northwestern part of Jordan, at the Kingdom’s border with the Golan Heights, covering a total area of 20.5 square kilometres.

The RSCN report detailing the losses the wildfires caused in the reserve shows that the fires affected a total of 829 deciduous oak trees, Jordan’s national tree, out of which 826 trees were partially affected and three were fully affected.

The report also states that 150 pine trees, a carob and a Sidr (Lote) tree were fully burned, in addition to four Styrax trees, out of which three were fully burned.

Additionally, the report says that a total of 2,734 saplings were affected, of which 1,234 were completely burned.