Jordan Times
Friday - Saturday, November 23 -24, 2001
Comprehensive environmental study to be launched next week
By Ruba Saqr
AMMAN — Next week, the environmental community here will be observing the launch of the “first annual report on the status of the environment in Jordan,” according to Al Urdun Al Jadid Research Centre (UJRC), publishers of the study.Dubbed “The State of the Environment in Jordan 2000-2001,” the 250-page publication describes the country's standing in terms of ecology, natural treasures, protection and conservation endeavours, and shortcomings in the system that hinder solving environmental problems.
The study, which was prepared by researchers Batir Wardam and Amal Dababseh, is divided into three chapters.
The first chapter describes the country's natural environment, the organisational structure of environmental bodies working in the field and the legal framework for the protection of the environment in the Kingdom.
“At the time when this report was being finalised, the new draft environment law was still lying in one of the drawers of the Legislation Bureau [at the Prime Ministry], and waiting to be ratified by the Parliament,” the report stated.
The book comments on the fact that officials have failed to meet several deadlines for the establishment of the first ministry of the environment in the country. The last deadline was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs Mohammad Halaiqa, with the expectation that the ministry would be formed before the end of this year.
Halaiqa heads the ministerial committee that was mandated to work on a new environment law that builds on the 1995 Law for the Protection of the Environment, which governs the General Corporation for Environment Protection (GCEP).
Under the new law, GCEP — described by many environmentalists as a bureaucratic institution — will be replaced by a ministry capable of placing the environment high on the government's agenda.
Efforts to set up a ministry began after His Majesty King Abdullah stressed the importance of creating an environment ministry in his letter of designation to Prime Minster Ali Abul Ragheb in June 2000.
The first chapter also lists characteristics of the Kingdom's water resources, natural wildlife, agricultural sector and land use, as well as its industrial, energy and mining sectors.
While the second chapter of the report comprises a chronological documentation of the events and developments related to the environment during the year 2000, the third and final chapter contains a general guide to the organisations and establishments that operate in the field of environment.
The book, which was revised and reviewed by several leading environmentalists, is expected to be launched on Sunday, according to a UJRC statement.