Wadi Rum Protected Area, Jordan

WADI RUM

Protected Area (WRPA) is a 731 km2 park located in Southern Jordan, neighboring Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Red Sea. Nicknamed the “Valley of the Moon”, WRPA has been shaped by complex geologic activity over millions of years. The landscape is an artifact of lithology, tectonic movement, and rapid uplift. A sea of pink, windswept sands, mudfl ats, and alluvial fans stretch out as far as the eye can see. Towering red cliff s and massifs (jebel) of pyramidal sandstone rock rise sharply from the wide open valleys (wadi). Weathering and erosion have since cut through the granite and sandstone along faults, cracks and joints, resulting in a network of elaborate labyrinths, undercut canyons, soaring towers, and natural arches.

WRPA is home to a variety of diverse and endemic plants and animals. There are over 200 species of fl owers and wild grasses classifi ed into 3 main types of vegetation: sand dune (low shrubs with root systems adapted to fi ne sand), Acacia (found in rocky mountainous areas), and Hammada (fl owering plants). Near ephemeral springs, hanging gardens of fern, fi g, mint, olive, and wild watermelon can be found. The once-endangered Arabian orbyx was successfully reintroduced into the park in 2002. Though rare, Nubien ibex, Arabian wolf, wild gazelle, and striped hyena may also be spotted. The herding Bedouin community commonly utilize camels, goats, and sheep.

Due to its remote and isolated nature, much of Wadi Rum has been naturally protected. Wadi Rum is 300 km south of Amman, the capital of Jordan. The four-hour drive to the park requires a private shuttle or local bus. Along the way, most visitors stop in Petra, an outstanding rock-cut capital city of the ancient Nabateans. WRPA is situated east of the Great Rift Valley and south of the Jordanian plateau; a highland country of deeply cut escarpments averaging 900m in elevation. The highest peak in Jordan, Jabal Umm ad Dami (1,840m) lies just 30 km south of Rum Village.

Human presence in the park can be traced back 12,000 years, and the region at large (Levantine Corridor) is along the migratory course early hominins were believed to take when expanding out of Africa. There are over 20,000 petroglyphs, inscriptions, ruins, and archaeological remains scattered across the Wadi Rum desert. Rum village is the only settlement in the protected area and traditional ways of life are still maintained by the Bedouin tribe today. The local community is heavily involved with managing the park and guiding tourist activities. WRPA was established in 1997 and enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

The park is managed by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZA) with the goal of conserving the unique desert landscape and its associated cultural and natural values. British Army Colonel T.E. Lawrence’s autobiographical account, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, was set in Wadi Rum during the Arab Revolt of 191618. The subsequent renowned fi lm Lawrence of Arabia (1962), as well as The Martian (2015), Star Wars (2016), and Dune (2021), were also shot in this iconic setting. Today, Wadi Rum is a popular destination for eco-adventure, including world-class rock climbing, hiking, ATV/ Jeep tours, camping, and stargazing.

Some challenges that the park faces include increasing socioeconomic pressure, diffi culty enforcing regulations, environmental response to climate change, and geopolitical instability. Illegal hunting, woody fuel collection, and pastoral grazing may pose a future threat if harvest exceeds sustainable limits. However, growing tourism poses the most signifi cant threat on the landscape. Future success of the park will rely on increased infrastructure to support its growth, proper waste management, and regulatory standards that meet sustainable visitation numbers.