The Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Naif Hamidi Al-Fayez, announced the inclusion of the Aqaba Marine Reserve in the Green List of Protected Areas, during an official ceremony held in Aqaba. The event was attended by Minister of Environment Dr. Ma'awiya Ridaideh and representatives from member countries, and organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – West Asia office.
اضافة اعلان
Al-Fayez explained that the Green List of Protected Areas is the first global standard recognized for best practices in protected areas. He praised Jordan's leading role in the establishment and effective management of protected areas.
He affirmed that this achievement reflects the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, issued in 2020 to establish the Aqaba Marine Reserve and include it in the national network of protected areas in Jordan. Additionally, the nomination files for the reserve were prepared for inclusion on the Green List by the IUCN and UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.
Al-Fayez noted that the award of this international recognition to the Aqaba Marine Reserve acknowledges the excellence of the marine environmental management and protection programs, reflecting the authority's efforts in supporting the reserve’s programs and providing the necessary resources for this success. He also emphasized the richness and diversity of natural habitats in Jordan, with the inclusion of the Aqaba Marine Reserve in the Green List being an important step towards enhancing biodiversity.
On his part, Minister of Environment Dr. Ma'awiya Ridaideh highlighted that since its establishment, the ministry has worked in cooperation with national and international organizations to adopt a series of measures to protect biodiversity. This includes creating the national network of protected areas, which includes 11 reserves and accounts for about 5.4% of the country’s area.
Ridaideh added that the ministry is currently preparing nomination files for three more reserves to join the Green List and is strengthening partnerships with civil society organizations to support the concept of areas with special protection.
Several protected areas in the region that joined the Green List after meeting 17 criteria were also honored, including the Oryx Reserve, Shouf Biosphere Reserve, King Salman Reserve, King Abdulaziz Reserve in Saudi Arabia, and Sir Bani Yas Island Reserve in the UAE, alongside the Aqaba Marine Reserve.
It is worth noting that the inclusion of Ajloun and Azraq Reserves in the Green List was announced during the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2018. (Petra)
