THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.....TO BE COMPLETED SOON ! Seems many people in the village of Rum are very concerned and worried about their future. On my last visit to Wadi Rum, I had some long conversations with local people, and some of them are very worried that their whole way of life is threatened - ie their right to go where they please,and to have their animals in the desert.  The authorities have apparently set up meetings with them and then not turned up. There are 'Rangers' driving round in new 4wds with walkie-talkies, turning up and hassling the locals, asking for evidence that the people with them are a "pre-arranged tour"...if not, then people like us can't get our friends to take us out but have to take the first in the queue at the rest house. When I was with a Beduin friend in Abu Iglakhat canyon, they came and hassled his young brother, who was waiting for us in the jeep. Someone was apparently put in prison overnight for not having the right paperwork. Worrying rumours about putting the goats and camels in fenced compounds to protect the desert vegetation. Also that they say it is dangerous for tourists to camp in the desert, so they want to construct four big camps and ban people from camping elsewhere. People are afraid of ending up with a Petra situation – ie the Beduin dispossessed of their heritage and reduced to living off the crumbs from tourists, instead of being in control of who come to THEIR land. They asked for help from foreigners to put pressure on the authorities. There also seems to be some danger of climbing being banned except in "designated areas" which would probably be limited to E. face of Jebel rum, and Barrah canyon. Apparently the attempt to severely restrict climbing has been made before, but when enough people shouted, the RSCN backed off and said it was all a misunderstanding. What is rumour and what is fact ? Could not get a copy of the official plan. Have been corresponding with some people about it, including Tony Howard, the “developer” of climbing in Wadi Rum, and RSCN - Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature - who manage the "nature reserve"    THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION - TO BE COMPLETED SOON ! Tony Howard and Di Taylor are constantly in touch with RSCN in an effort to point out the needs of climbers & trekkers and to support the local people. They have contacted me to say "Whilst understanding that environmental awareness is essential if Rum is not to be destroyed by mass tourism, we do not feel that the current numbers of the climbing community are any threat to the ecology of the area, in fact we think that our main impact is one that benefits the local community. The RSCN continue to assure us that they share our concerns, though rumours of closures of some parts of Rum still persist and the locals also have many concerns which are still to be answered. Best regards and good luck with your efforts, Tony & Di For another mail from Tony and Di, click here

PLEASE WRITE TO, OR e-MAIL, THE AUTHORITIES        to let them know what you think about the proposals for Wadi Rum               There are sample letters here, and the addresses are here.

Geraldine Chatelard has been visiting Rum for many years and knows the local people well.  She has written a paper, which is long, and rather academic in parts, but which includes some thought-provoking analysis about the effects of tourism, as well as the RSCN proposals.   I have drawn on Geraldine's work considerably in writing this web site.                                           The full paper is here.

I am writing on behalf of my friends in Wadi Rum - not because I want to act in any way as their representative, when they are quite able to express themselves, but simply because it is fairly difficult for them to get access to internet connections, and also English is not their first language, though many of them speak it pretty well.

What is happening in Wadi Rum ?

photo : Angie Bishop

Background History of climbing History of tourism and change Of "development" and goats Indigenous people's rights to their land The problem of "nature conservation" The World Bank and the US National Parks Service How image becomes reality