Environmentalists challenge Amman's attempts to exploit Dana nature reserve

The government intends to expropriate 106 square kilometres of land, one third of the total. The subsoil contains copper and magnesium. Authorities believe earning potential could be worth up to four billion. Experts deny the figures and speak of a maximum of 30 million dollars. Ecologists propose 'sustainable tourism' industry as an alternative. 

Amman (AsiaNews) - Jordanian environmentalists are on the warpath against Amman, which has decided to change the boundaries of one of the country's most important nature reserves in order to exploit the copper and magnesium reserves underground for mining purposes. The controversy was sparked by the announcement on 20 August by the Ministry of Energy that it wants to expropriate about 106 square kilometres of land in the protected area of Dana, in the south, equivalent to a third of the total reserve.

The government, which is desperately seeking economic resources to exploit in times of crisis since Covid-19, is interested in the more than 45 million tonnes of copper that lie underground, with an estimated value of about four billion dollars. In a note, authorities in the Hashemite kingdom say that mining in the area will provide at least 3,500 new jobs, with an initial investment of 0 million. In 2016, Amman had signed an exploitation contract with a mining company, which withdrew because those in charge of the nature reserve repeatedly prevented their technicians from accessing the area. 

The nature reserve was created in 1989 and officially named Dana Biosphere Reserve in 1993. It encompasses much of the Great Rift Valley, formed by mountains, plateaus and desert plateaus. According to Unesco, there are four different biogeographical zones within it: Mediterranean, Iranian-Turanian, Saharo-Arabian and Sudan penetration zone, and it is home to many protected or endangered species. 

It is managed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (Rscn), which has been fighting against the cutting of one third for economic purposes, calling copper mining in the region 'unfeasible'. Speaking to al-Monitor, President Khalid Irani stressed that the government had not consulted with the SCN before making the decision, which he called "a black day" for the kingdom. The company has also instructed its lawyers to block the project. 

“Mining activities will harm the unique ecosystems of the biosphere,” Irani said, adding that the reserve employs 85 local Jordanians, indirectly supporting 200 families, and provides almost 2.37 million dinars (.3 million) annually to the local community. He contested the government’s legal authority to change the boundaries of the reserve. "

Irani said that mining activities will have dire consequences for the biodiversity of the reserve. “The area boasts breathtaking scenery due to its varied terrain, geological diversity that ranges from limestone to granite and biological diversity that includes hundreds of plants and dozens of reptiles and mammals, some of which are rare or endangered." He added, "Thousands of migratory birds pass through the reserve every year.”

Among the critical voices is former Economy Minister and environmentalist Yusuf Mansour, who disputes the figures provided by the government (not billions, but a maximum of 30 million) and the feasibility of the extraction operations. "There is an exaggeration in the government's figures,' he points out, 'which should instead invest in the reserve as a privileged eco-tourism destination. "Dana is unique and it would be much better to invest in it to attract tourists,' he concludes, while creating a 'sustainable economy'.  

• Jordan
• dana
• nature
• environment
• ecologists
• economy
• exploitation
• mineral reserves
• energy
• development