On August 13, 2022,
Jordan News published a report
regarding observations about the accumulation of waste in the Wadi Rum area.
Unfortunately, some points mentioned in this report were wrongly reported, and
considering that Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) is the governing
and regulating body of the area, we would like to take the opportunity to
clarify these allegations.
اضافة اعلان
We believe that constructive criticism is essential,
as a means to help us all improve the offering in the magical area of Wadi Rum,
while protecting the site and preserving its beauty and uniqueness as a
cultural and natural world heritage site. We all have a responsibility toward
our tourism products, by promoting them through the proper communication
channels and tools, and avoiding any negative rhetoric and abuse. We are also
strong believers in the need for investigative journalism, which should report
accurately, truthfully, and objectively any news related to the sector, and
always refer to the authorities when seeking the truth, granting them the right
to respond to reinforce the credibility of what is published.
We welcome media comments when they serve the public
interest. We are witnessing a strong comeback of tourism, after a tough
slowdown due to the pandemic. The collective efforts of the public and private
sectors enables us to reap the benefits today, as we look forward to a positive
season for inbound tourism in the months ahead.
Below, we detail our observations on what was
mentioned in the published report in order to clarify to the public those
points:
• The area referred to in the report is located
outside the boundaries of the protected area of Wadi Rum, which is governed by
ASEZA, the entity responsible for the management and protection of the area.
ASEZA’s responsibility in the area includes maintaining cleanliness, which is
executed through a contract with a specialized company for the collection,
transportation, and treatment of waste within the boundaries of the nature
reserve, which covers an area of 720 sq.km., and includes the village of Wadi
Rum.
• ASEZA has allocated two sites under its
jurisdiction (since its inception 20 years ago) within the boundaries of Wadi
Rum village, as shown in the first image published with the newspaper report
(which is the only image that is actually under the jurisdiction of ASEZA) and
clearly indicating its cleanliness, with no accumulation of waste, since it is
cleaned and maintained on daily basis. Contradictory to the details mentioned
in the report, this area does not hinder the parking of vehicles, as it is a
designated and well-known area within the public parking lot at the entrance to
the village. We are grateful to the camp owners in the area, who support waste
collection efforts upon completion of scheduled trips of tourists staying with
them. Usually, these environmental camps do not produce the quantities of waste
referred to in the report, due to a number of factors, including their
relatively small size, the nature of the services provided within their
facility, and the number of visitors. The amount is waste produced is known by
calculating the quantities that are transported daily by the designated
unloading containers.
• The number of operating camps within the protected
area part of the reserve is 193, ranging in size from large, medium, and small;
they are environmental camps in nature, and receive a limited number of
visitors, according to their capacity. The waste management in those camps is
carried out inside the reserve in cooperation with the camp owners, and in
addition to the workers who cover the reserve within a daily program for the
collection and disposal of scattered waste at the two designated collection
points mentioned above.
• Except for the first picture, all other pictures
included in your report are of areas that lie outside the boundaries of the
protected area, contradictory to what was mentioned in the report. Despite
their being outside ASEZA’s jurisdiction, the authority, out of its sense of
national pride and responsibility, has carried out several clean-up campaigns
in these area, in collaboration with various administrative authorities. Sadly,
the absence of constant supervision by the relevant authorities and entities
allows for this littering phenomenon near the main road leading to those areas;
part of the litter are items such as debris, remains of household furniture and
construction works, and other waste.
• In addition to
the cleaning efforts, ASEZA currently requires the tourist camps to be part of
the waste collection service conducted in the area, in accordance with
regulations that govern such activities. Moreover, ASEZA will provide waste
collection service through a specialized company, including providing waste
collection containers near camp sites. Furthermore, and working alongside the
memorandum of understanding signed with the Ministry of Tourism and
Antiquities, ASEZA will take upon itself the responsibility of licensing of
camps located outside the borders of the protected area, which will contribute
to solving a large part of this phenomenon, in addition to concentrating
collaborative efforts of all related parties to enforce the law, and control
operations while applying environmental safety and protection.
• The report included interviews with persons and
entities entrusted with part of the responsibility, as part of a participatory
effort, for maintaining and controlling the cleanliness of the area under their
jurisdiction. Ultimately, we aim to all work together for the benefit of the
sector, and would appreciate avoiding a blame game amongst everyone concerned.
ASEZA will spare no efforts in supporting the
continuous development of the tourism sector at large, all in the sake of
strengthening Jordan’s position on the international tourism map.
Saleh
Al-Naimat
Director
of the Rum Natural Area - Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority
Phone:
0799000943
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