Viva nature reserve joins to Ramsar's list

The Middle East and East Asia Chief Advisor for the Ramsar Convention, Dr. Le Young, announced on Tuesday that "Viva" nature reserve joined to the list of "Ramsar" of wetlands of global importance, at a ceremony held on this occasion at the site of the reserve, in Gore Viva, under the patronage of the Jordanian Minister of Environment, Dr. Yassin Al-Khayat.

This announcement was made because of the importance of the park, being the lowest region in the world among all the sites declared in the Convention. Ahmed Al-Qatarna, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Environment, expressed his pride in this global achievement achieved by Jordan, not only at the level of the region, but globally.

He pointed out that Jordan is one of the leading countries in the field of environmental protection and biodiversity, as it always seeks to cooperate with all regional and international parties working to protect the environment and contribute to the sustainability of its components.

 Al-Qatarna also stressed the keenness of the Ministry of Environment to find the best partnerships with different bodies, namely civil society organizations, describing the relationship between the ministry and the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature as an example to follow in order to devote productive and effective partnership to ensure the sustainability of these reserves.

For his part, Le Young praised the initiative of the government of Jordan to include the unique Viva nature reserve on the list of wetlands of global importance. "The most important feature of the Viva Reserve is that it is the lowest wetland on the Ramsar List, with a drop of 426 meters above sea level," he said. He also pointed to the importance of the protected area in combating floods and supporting endemic species of endangered fish and birds.

He considered that this declaration is a guarantee provided by the Jordanian government, represented by the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature, to achieve the wise use of the reserve and to preserve it.