| Section Four Action Plan Annex One Proposed Management Structure Annex Two Vehicle Safety Standards (Based on American paranoia for suing someone at the slightest excuse!) These regulations were recommended by the Royal Automobile Association in Amman Vehicles to be used for carrying tourists in Wadi Rum should have the following: 4-wheel drive and a gross weight without passengers of not less than 1 ton A safety cage over the passenger compartment made of steel tubing Fixed seats with immovable, comfortable cushions and fitted with seat belts and face the direction which gives the best views. Boring! First-aid kit and water tank with up to 2 days supply Why all this water? – you can walk back to Rest House from anywhere in Reserve in a few hours. This is Rum, not the Sahara! Fire extinguishers Towing eye and winch (why – have you never seen a Bedouin getting out of problems in the desert? Tourists enjoy the fun!) and emergency flashing light Appropriate sand tyres with recommended pressures Mud guards on all wheels and an extended dust guard across the full width of the back of the vehicle. Intact exhaust system with an outlet positioned so that exhaust gases do not affect passenger comfort. Good mechanical and body work condition and Regular maintenance. I hope earlier plans to get rid of the village mechanics are not still ongoing? Annex Three Vehicle Registration Scheme Annex Four Draft Protected Area Regulations Wadi Rum Protected Area Regulations First Edition July 1999 Preamble The main purpose of these regulations is to safeguard the natural character of Wadi Rum, a site considered to be of national and international importance for its desert landscape and ecological value. What about the people of Rum – aren't they also first – and part of the ecology? For this reason the regulations have been framed so that pressure to introduce developments which could harm this special character can be strongly resisted. By ensuring the effective conservation of Wadi Rum, they will ultimately safeguard not only the area itself but also the future of its main economy, tourism, since this depends upon retaining its natural beauty – which was created in interaction with the indigenous people. Definition of terms Site management agency refers to Aqaba Regional Authority (ARA) or to any agency to which the ARA delegates responsibility for the management of the protected area. Demonstrated, as in "where it can be demonstrated", refers to situations where the site management agency needs to justify its intention to impose a regulation through discussion, the results of research, or through arbitration. The vehicles for determining whether the justification is sound are the management steering group (see below) or the arbitration committee (see Annex ?) A - General provisions A-1 The site management agency will have the general authority on site to implement all the regulations detailed below. Where the rights of the agency are specifically mentioned in the clauses, these relate to unpredictable situations where there is a particular need to use discretion or sensitivity in the application of the regulations. A-2 A management plan for the protected area will be prepared by the site management agency within two years of the adoption of these regulations and it will be reviewed annually and updated every three years. Preparation and review of the Plan will be carried out in full consultation with key stakeholders, including the ARA, Ministry of Tourism (MOTA), Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) and local community representatives. Why not include consultation with international body such as UIAA or BMC to speak for the climbing / trekking community and SI to ensure indigenous people's rights are not trampled? A-3 A steering group will be established to guide the on-site implementation of the management plan consisting of representatives of ARA, MOTA, RSCN and local community leaders. B - Access to the protected area B-1 The management agency reserves the right to prevent or restrict access to the protected area at any point along the boundary, or within any internal sub-region, or to any specific site, track, trail or road, when it is required to meet the objectives of the management plan or when it can be demonstrated that it is in the best interests of site protection. Who decides best interests of site protection? The Bedouin and their traditional lifestyle are part of the 'site' just as much as the wildlife etc. The effect on them should be foremost. B-2 The site management agency reserves the right to restrict vehicles, walkers and people using other forms of transport, to designated trails, tracks or roads and to impose penalties for deliberate attempts to deviate from them. See all our comments above, which need solutions NOW. C - Visitor activities C-1 The site management agency reserves the right to prevent or limit any visitor activity in the protected area which, in its opinion, could cause unacceptable environmental impact and conflict with conservation objectives. This clause allows authorities to over-ride anything. I am aware of envronmental needs, but I don't like it! See comments above – and in our many earlier letters about carrying out a 5 year assessment of climbing / trekking impact. C-2 All climbers and any long distance hikers, camel or horse riders who plan to stay overnight in the protected area are required to register at the entrance point giving details of names, organisations, camping places and intended destinations. This is impossible. See above comments. Climbers etc will be camping near Rest House and will not go to Visitor Centre at all, once they are in Rum. Info not known until day before at earliest and can be left with friends. This is supposed to be a holiday, not a jail sentence! D - Vehicle use D-1 All vehicles entering the protected area for tourism purposes will be registered at the point of entry and key details recorded including licence plate number, name of owner or company and intended destination. D-2 Any vehicle carrying passengers for the purpose of tourism, except private vehicles carrying groups of relatives or friends, must meet required safety and comfort standards, as specified in Annex 1. Vehicles lacking the required standards and unable to show documentary evidence of compliance when requested can, at the discretion of the site management agency, be denied access to the protected area. D-3 Any driver of vehicles used for tourism purposes must be licensed by the site management agency to operate in the protected area and must be at least 18 years of age and have an official Jordanian driving license or an official foreign license acceptable to the Jordanian government. D-4 Any driver of any vehicle being used for tourism purposes who is proved to have been driving irresponsibly while carrying passengers will be subject to penalties and can, at the discretion of the site management agency, be banned from using the vehicle for such purposes within the protected area. Private sector tour operators E-1 All private sector tour operators must be approved and licensed by the site management agency to operate in the protected area and must demonstrate compliance will all relevant regulations. E-2 All private sector tour operators must have valid public liability insurance. F -Protection of natural features and wildlife F-1 Deliberate damage or defacement of any natural feature, archaeological site or artifact, and the removal of any natural object or artifact from the protected area, is not permitted and any person found engaged in these acts will be escorted from the area and subject to the appropriate penalties. F-2 The hunting and live capture of any wild animals, including birds, using any method of killing or capture, is not permitted and any person found hunting within the protected area will have their weapons and equipment confiscated and will be prosecuted according to the prevailing national laws. F-3 Deliberate attempts to cause harm to wild animals or to disturb them at their nesting and breeding sites, or in any designated sanctuary area, are not permitted and any person found engaged in these acts will be apprehended and subject to the appropriate penalties. F-4 Deliberate damage to trees, shrubs and other wild plants is not permitted and any person found engaged in these acts will be apprehended and subject to the appropriate penalties. Please sell charcoal in village, for camping use. F-5 The collecting of wild flowers and animals or any other natural object for any purpose, including research, is not permitted without an official permit from the management agency. G - Littering, garbage disposal and pollution G-1 The deliberate dropping or dumping of litter anywhere in the protected area is prohibited and any person, group or organisation found engaged in these activities or allowing them to occur will be required to clean up the litter and be subject to the appropriate penalties. G-2 All tourism facilities must have appropriate and effective garbage collection and disposal systems, approved by the site management agency, and the owners and operators of these facilities must ensure that at least one member of their staff is responsible for garbage management. Failure to comply will result in penalties and possible closure of the facility. G-3 All tourism facilities must have appropriate and effective systems for the disposal of waste water and sewage, approved by the site management agency, and the owner or operator of any facility which lacks such systems will be given a negotiable period of time to install them. Failure to comply with installation requests will result in closure of the facility G-4 The deliberate or negligent pollution of any spring source or water body or previously unpolluted area by any known toxic substance is prohibited and any persons or organisations found engaged in such pollution will be subject to the appropriate penalties. H - Buildings, infrastructure and human settlement H-1 Any new construction, including buildings and infrastructure developments, will not be permitted in the protected area, outside the boundaries of Rum Village and the Visitor Centre complex, unless it can be demonstrated that it is vital for the management of the protected area, for appropriate tourism development or for small-scale socio-economic development of local communities; and that it can be built without compromising conservation objectives. No such development will be permitted without the approval of the site management agency. I hope this doesn't include the erection of temporary traditional Bedouin camps following centuries of custom? H-2 Development proposals falling into categories ?? of Jordanian planning law will require a full environmental impact assessment. H-2 The specification and design of new buildings and structures which are allowed in the protected area must have the approval of the management agency and must be sympathetic to the character of the area and use natural materials and environmentally benign technology wherever possible. H-3 The management agency reserves the right to prevent or restrict human settlement in any part of the protected area outside of the boundaries of Rum Village. As above, we hope this doesn't apply to Bedouin tents pitched following traditional practices in traditional family areas? I - Grazing and agriculture I-1 The site management agency reserves the right to enforce controls on livestock numbers and grazing areas where it is shown to be in best interests of site protection and conservation and where it can be achieved without causing hardship to local pastoralists. This looks like the another insidious attempt at stopping Bedouin from following their traditional lifestyle. I-2 Agriculture is not permitted inside the protected area and any agricultural activities ongoing at the time of ratification of these regulations will be phased out. Another move to eliminate local lifestyle. (Though I always did wonder how successful these agricultural attempts were!) J - Mineral extraction J-1 The commercial extraction of stone or any minerals within the protected area is not be permitted. K - Local communities and other stakeholders K-1 Prior to the imposition of any new regulations, local communities living in the protected area and other stakeholders will be consulted and their views considered and accommodated wherever possible. And if they can't be 'accommodated', what then, will they be ignored? K-2 Where it can be demonstrated that the enforcement of any regulation will significantly disrupt the prevailing life-style and economy of the residents of the protected area, special dispensations will be made to minimize these effects or alternative approaches will be sought to achieve the same objectives. In the event that such compromises cannot be reached, local communities have the right to seek arbitration through the channels defined in Annex 3 What about the lifestyle of those who traditionally move into and out of the area on annual migrations (from further south, for example, or from Rum itself)? L - Enforcement of regulations and penalties L-1 Rangers employed by the management authority or any other nominated members of staff will be empowered to enforce the protected area regulations, provided they receive approval from the local Chief of Tourist Police and District Governor. They will work in cooperation with local and national tourist police and the Badia Police and will have the right to apprehend violators, expel them from the protected area and impose authorized on-the-spot penalties. All violations observed and penalties imposed will be documented for inspection by the local police chief and the protected area manager. It is essential that you clarify all the questions raised about climbers and trekkers first or you are going to have some very angry people! It is not only us who are concerned! Don't forget Rum is "world famous" as a climbing venue – it could soon be world notorious! L-2 A schedule of penalties for violation of the regulations is given in Annex 4 (to be devised) |
| PART FOUR |
RSCN Draft Management Plan With comments by Tony Howard |
| black box |