JREDS to train six female divers in Aqaba

AMMAN — The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) on Saturday announced it was still receiving applications for its programme to train six women from Aqaba to obtain their Dive Master certificate.

The certificate will enable the selected females to lead diving sessions in Aqaba for other females, according to JREDS Executive Director Ehab Eid.

“The programme will include a comprehensive training on reef check and ecosystem services, as JREDS believes that women have a critical role in educating the society on the extraordinary marine ecosystems and species of Aqaba, and in advocating for better practices toward the sea,” Eid told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

Mohammad Tawaha, marine conservation programme manager at JREDS, said the programme should contribute positively to the economy and the tourism sector in Aqaba.

“Having well-trained female divers will encourage other women, whether from Jordan or the region, to experiment and enjoy diving experiences,” Tawaha told The Jordan Times.

JREDS will support the trained females and connect them to the diving industry, in addition to developing the appropriate marketing tools to help them succeed, he said.

“JREDS training programme aims at increasing the opportunities of Jordanian females to enjoy the secrets of the underwater marine heritage of Aqaba and at providing women with a source of income,” Tawaha underscored.

The training programme is supported by the Sustainable Use of Ecosystem Services in Jordan – Energy and Climate Fund (EKF-ESS) project through the GIZ and commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), according to JREDS.

The society launched the training programme to “fill the gap of certified local women divers,” according to Eid, who noted that there are some foreign female divers who cooperate with diving centres in Aqaba.

He said the programme seeks to enhance the participation of the local community by  raising its engagement, enhancing its awareness on marine protection and also providing local women with a source of income, according to Eid.

“This training programme is for the good of Jordanian woman…,” he strassed.

The society will also train the women to be monitors of the marine life in the Gulf of Aqaba by observing and reporting any abnormalities.

Located some 330 kilometres south of the capital, Aqaba’s 27-kilometre coastline boasts 24 diving sites, with 21 diving centres providing services.

Situated at the northern tip of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba is home to more than 300 species of hard and soft corals, 512 fish species and thousands of mollusks and invertebrates, according to JREDS.

Aqaba’s mild climate makes it an ideal destination for scuba diving around the year, the society said in a guide to Aqaba’s diving sites, indicating that the water temperature during summer ranges around 26ºC, dropping to 20ºC during winter.