ADC signs a Memorandum of Understanding to preserve the Aqaba Bird Observatory

Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Aqaba Development Corporation, Aqaba Water Company, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, and USAID sign a Memorandum of Understanding to preserve the Aqaba Bird ObservatoryAqaba – February 27, 2023 – The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), Aqaba Water Company (AWC), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to construct new lined ponds to sustain the Aqaba Bird Observatory.

The joint funding between the United States government, through USAID, and the Government of Jordan, through ADC, will preserve the environmental and touristic significance of the Observatory, which provides important aquatic and green habitats that protect different migrating bird species and serves as a rest stop for more than half a million migrating birds annually during the migration seasons, which in turn provides new opportunities for ecotourism in Aqaba.ASEZA Chief Commissioner, Nayef Al-Fayez, affirmed that the Aqaba Bird Observatory, which was established in 2004 by ASEZA, is of special importance as a resting spot for birds migrating through Jordan on their way between the north and south regions of the globe. This makes it a prime investment opportunity as an ecotourism bird-watching product, which supports plans to diversify tourism products in Aqaba city. Since the start of their close collaboration in 2012, ASEZA and RSCN have integrated ecosystem management at the Observatory to ensure its sustainability and the sustainability of this leading ecotourism product. Despite its small size, the Observatory has been visited by 271 types of bird species, which makes up over 61 percent of the bird species recorded in Jordan’s database, making it a destination for bird watchers from around the world.

In turn, ADC CEO Hussain Safadi said that the project is partially funded by ADC in line with its corporate social responsibility activities aimed at ensuring that the local community continues to benefit directly and indirectly from the Observatory as an ecotourism product that bolsters tourism activity in Aqaba city and reflects the company’s vital tourism and environmental development role in Aqaba. Safadi also commended USAID for its contribution and support of this nationally and internationally important project.
“For 35 years, USAID has partnered with authorities and corporations in Aqaba to meet Jordan’s growing water needs and strengthen the sustainability of the water sector. Now, we are proud to expand that partnership to include preserving its natural heritage,” said USAID Deputy Mission Director Emily Krunic.Director General of RSCN Fadi Al-Nasser said, “The Observatory holds environmental and ecotourism value, making it a vital location. It is undergoing a unique experiment in adapting to the significant climate changes that are taking our natural habitats by storm, by reusing treated water to draw and shelter migrating birds while also acting as an ecotourism product that maintains Aqaba’s natural capital and positively impacts, both directly and indirectly, humankind.

”Meanwhile, the Aqaba Water Company’s General Manager, Eng. Khalid Obaideen, explained that the Company has been supporting the project since its outset by providing the needed amounts of treated water to sustain its vital habitats. By doing so, the company leaves a unique environmental mark for the water treatment sector in the country.Hosted by RSCN at the Aqaba Bird Observatory, the ceremony brought together project partners, government representatives, and stakeholders from Aqaba Governorate. In addition to providing supervision and management services to the project, USAID pledged USD 1 million to support the first phase of developing the Aqaba Bird Observatory, while ADC will provide JOD 400,000 to support the first phase of construction.