By Tony Howard*
‘RSCN will not participate in environment impact assessment of planned military academy’, Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 (Jordan Times)
I was shocked to see that the plans to build a military academy at Bergesh are still ongoing despite a strong petition against it, and advice to the contrary from the respected RSCN due to its “destructive impact on the environment as well as its violation of the Agriculture Law”.
The region of Bergesh is unique in Jordan. It should be treasured, not destroyed. How can the people of Jordan be expected to care for their countryside when the military are given approval to desecrate what is Jordan’s most precious forested region? What kind of an example is that? I am not surprised the RSCN have, in Pontius Pilate style, washed their hands of it.
The nearby well-established RSCN Ajloun Forest Reserve has one of the most effective outreach and public awareness programs among Jordan’s nature reserves. It is an example of how to protect an area whilst aiding the economy and educating the public about the importance of conservation. This has led to the raised awareness of the local communities inhabiting the area, in particular in Al Ayoun, which is adjacent to both the Ajloun Forest Reserve and Bergesh and has the same forested Mediterranean hill climate. Over the past four years the Al Ayoun community have been developing adventure tourism in both Al Ayoun and Bergesh to benefit the local economy, creating a network of trails to support their homestay programmes and setting an example of sustainable growth that has already achieved international recognition.
If the military academy project goes ahead, it will not only impact detrimentally on the hard work and hopes of the Al Ayoun community to develop sustainable eco- tourism, but it will also be a disaster for Jordan’s forest eco-system.
The academy is an ill-considered project. I trust it is is not too late to relocate it.
*Author of ‘Treks & Climbs in Wadi Rum’ and ‘Jordan, Walks, Treks, Caves, Climbs & Canyons’
Team Member Al Ayoun Community Trail Project, Jordan
