Who are the RSCN ? The Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature was set up in the 1960s, under the patronage of Queen Noor. It was at that time a small non-governmental organisation with a small budget. However, it now has an official government mandate to manage nature conservation and "development projects" in Wadi Rum (and several other Jordanian nature reserves and national parks) with World bank financial support and advice. Thus, it is no longer independent of the state.