UNESCO Project “Local Communities and Sustainable Tourism in Wadi Rum" Goals

Goals

The Wadi Rum component of the UNESCO project aims to ensure the sustainable conservation, enhancement, and management of the Nabataean Temple within the Wadi Rum Protected Area, while reinforcing the role of local communities in safeguarding cultural heritage. The project is grounded in a rigorous scientific and methodological framework developed and implemented by the University of Florence, which guides all phases of analysis, planning, and intervention.

Specifically, the project pursues the following goals:

• To develop a comprehensive rehabilitation and site maintenance plan, based on a scientific methodology defined by the University of Florence, including detailed documentation, condition assessment, and Heritage Impact Assessment, in order to identify priority conservation actions consistent with the site’s Outstanding Universal Value.
• To implement targeted small-scale conservation interventions, designed and supervised according to established conservation principles and technical standards, ensuring the compatibility, reversibility, and sustainability of all actions undertaken on the site.
• To enhance site presentation and visitor experience, through methodologically grounded design of trails, signage, and interpretative materials, aimed at improving accessibility, legibility, and the overall understanding of the site.
• To actively involve local communities through cash-for-work activities, integrating scientific supervision with participatory approaches in order to build local capacity and promote awareness of heritage values and conservation practices.
• To ensure continuous technical supervision and monitoring, carried out under the scientific coordination of the University of Florence, guaranteeing that all interventions adhere to UNESCO standards and are implemented in close coordination with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (DoA).
• To contribute to the long-term sustainable management of Wadi Rum, through an integrated approach that combines scientific research, conservation practice, and community engagement.