Aqaba: Jordanian authorities and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday to create new pond liners to help sustain a bird observatory in the southern Aqaba governorate.
The MoU was co-funded by USAID and the Jordanian government through the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), said a statement by ASEZA.
The agency pledged $1 million for the first stage of the Aqaba Bird Observatory development, and will also oversee and manage the project, while ASEZA will contribute JD400,000, it said.
The agreement will help protect the bird observatory, which houses water and green habitats that are a crucial pitstop for half a million migrating birds visiting the observatory annually and also a tourist attraction.
Chairman of ASEZA Nayef Fayez noted the importance of investing in the observatory to diversify Aqaba’s tourism product.
He added that 271 bird species, or 61 percent of registered birds, were spotted in the observatory despite its limited land space, making it an ideal destination for bird-watching.
USAID Acting Deputy Mission Director Emily Krunic said the agency is proud to expand partnership with authorities and companies in Aqaba to include the city’s natural heritage, pointing to 35-year-old ties between Jordan and USAID, mainly cooperation in the water sector.
The Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), and the Aqaba Water Company were also parties in the MoU.
Source: Jordan News Agency