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Al Oja Spring Site
The site is located in a place that stretches between the Western border of the River Jordan and a
water spring that forms a stream called Al
Oja Spring starting
almost 20 km Northwest Jericho.
The whole area is considered as a beautiful resort especially when natural vegetation, birds
and wild life are preserved in a clean managed way.
Due to its historical and religious importance, the site is attracting increasing numbers of
tourists. Such influx of tourist will impose sever damage to the serenity and neutrality of the
site. Around the site many unmanaged human impacts exist. Such impacts are causing the depletion of
valuable natural and cultural resources of the site.
In addition to that such above-mentioned unmanaged environmental impacts will decrease its
natural and cultural values, in which environmentalist feel that much of its Biodiversity will be
affected directly.
A certain quantity and quality of water is required in the site to ensure the continuity of
ecological functions. The values and services provided by the ecosystem depend on how it functions.
How it functions depends on what hydrological and biological processes occur within it. Which
processes are performed depend upon which physical, chemical and biological components make up the
system. These include the quantity and type of plant, animals, microbes, soil and minerals.
The components that make up the system are dependent to a large degree on the quantity and
the quality of water moving in and out of the system. This dependency originates from nutrients and
sediments brought in by the water entering the system, which brings fertility to plants and supports
the overall ecological processes.
To tackle any component of the ecosystem individually may result in a biased and shortsighted
assessment, especially when discussing management alternatives. A comprehensive analysis of the
whole ecosystem functions should provide a more focused outcome and sound management choices.
The management of the site should be based on the drainage basin itself with all its living
and water movement, since in a hydrological system, all components and processes link non-living
components.
Therefore there is a strong need to establish an environmental management plan for the site
to minimise any negative impacts imposed on the site and its natural and cultural resources.
The management plan will help decision-makers and site mangers develop and use the site and
its resources in a sustainable manner. The Plan will also help in minimizing future impacts from
tourism.
The ultimate management objective for the site is to sustainable manages tourism
activities and conserving the ecological features of the site. This objective will require
certain management priorities and decisions aiming at fulfilling this aim. |
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Send mail to
webmaster@wildlife-pal.org (
Laith Qumsiyeh
) with questions or comments about this web site.
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