Co-management of Range-lands - Al Yarmouk Forest Reserve, Jordan

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by Tarek Abulhawa, The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN)

Oak in YFR

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is the national organization mandated to establish and manage protected areas in Jordan. Established in 1966, it manages 10 PAs totalling 3,000Km2, representing 3% of the country. Also, RSCN leads the national program on socioeconomic development of rural communities, living in and around PAs, focusing on sustainable resource management and ecotourism. With an area of 20 km2, the Yarmouk Forest Reserve (YFR) is located in the northern corner of the Kingdom. YFR aims to conserve the relic forests of the deciduous oak in Jordan. YFR embraces four vegetation types including 450 species of plants, 150 species of animals, a 100 of which are birds. Further, YFR is of high cultural importance including the Archaeological City of Um Qais and the living heritage in small towns with their traditional practices. Communities living around YFR are mainly rural and depend on seasonal farming and livestock herding for their livelihoods.

Last update: 02 Oct 2020

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Context

Challenges addressed

Drought

Land and Forest degradation

Erosion

Unsustainable harvesting incl. Overfishing

Lack of alternative income opportunities

Physical resource extraction

Changes in socio-cultural context

Lack of public and decision maker’s awareness

Poor monitoring and enforcement

Unemployment / poverty

Scale of implementation

Local

Ecosystems

Temperate deciduous forest

Theme

Habitat fragmentation and degradation

Adaptation

Local actors

Traditional knowledge

Protected and conserved areas management planning

Location

Irbid, Irbid Governorate, Jordan

West Asia, Middle East

Impacts

In recent years, due to prolonged drought periods and unsustainable land use, YFR’s biodiversity and land productivity have been deteriorating rapidly. Main threats include excessive grazing and wood cutting for subsistence and trade. In response, RSCN has adopted an integrated management plan to address all factors influencing YFR. The plan was developed with full participation of local users and includes a participative zoning scheme which comprises a sustainable grazing program in and around the reserve. The grazing management program includes components on rangeland protection and socioeconomic alternatives to livestock owners, all based on traditional knowledge, and delivered through collaborative measures: 1) a collaborative rangeland management platform, 2) rotational grazing program including no go zones in critical biodiversity areas, 3) program on improved herd productivity and reproductive cycles, and 4) a community –owned alternative low-cost fodder production unit.