MONGABAY 9/11/2021
Rugged hills frame a valley surrounded by evergreen oak, pistachio and pine trees in the village of Dana, where stone houses built centuries ago perch on the edge of a canyon that blends into the natural surroundings.
At a crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia, the Dana Biosphere Reserve is home to Jordan’s most diverse wildlife, spreading from mountains and sandstone cliffs more than 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) high, to desert plains 50 m (164 ft) below sea level.
“I love the peace and quiet here,” says Samia Khawaldeh, who lives in the region and works in the production of local jams, herbal infusions, and handmade crafts sold at the reserve.
But the calmness Khawaldeh values may soon be threatened by the noise of explosions and bulldozers coming to extract the area’s mineral resources. In August, the Jordanian government announced it would expropriate about one-third of Dana reserve’s 300 square kilometers (116 square miles) to allow copper prospecting and extraction, saying there are 45 million tons of the metal within its boundaries (…)