Lecture held on sustainable management of natural reserves

AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), together with the environmental committee of the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA), on Wednesday held a lecture titled “The Sustainable Management of Natural Reserves”, focusing on the global importance of reserves in biodiversity conservation.

The lecture, presented by Mahmoud Al Bdour, a reserves expert, brought to light the challenges faced by natural reserves in the Arab region and highlighted their role in supporting the economy of local communities.

The RSCN signed a memorandum of understanding with the AEA in November, to achieve environmental goals and integrate conservation management objectives into selected public and private sectors in 11 countries along the Rift Valley, according to the RSCN official website.

All of the reserves and institutions working in the management of protected areas are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment, Bdour said, adding that the RSCN, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) are institutions of “great importance to protect and manage the Kingdom’s reserves”.

Reserves in Jordan are established to protect biodiversity and natural resources, in addition to safeguarding the Kingdom’s natural environment through sustainable management, he added.

According to RSCN Director General Yahya Khaled, the lecture is part of a series of activities to be held as part of an agreement signed between the RSCN and the AEA.