The ABO Project:
The man made wetland which is now the Aqaba Bird Observatory is located at the Old Wastewater Treatment Plant of Aqaba and the adjacent Peace Forest only two kilometers north of the city and just off the road to the King Hussein International Airport at the road of Aqaba – Eilat crossing border point. (See the Map)
The observatory is in an area of flat alluvial fans at the sou
thern end of Araba Valley near the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Dense vegetated peace forest. The observatory holds five ponds; three of them are cement lined, while the others are semi-natural ponds with aquatic vegetation, used as evaporation ponds. These ponds are separated by sandy walkways. The total area of the open ponds is about 400 donums and the maximum depth of these ponds is 1.5 meters. The adjacent peace forest is composed of planted rows of trees that have a maximum height of 10 meters. These trees belong to native and introduced species that tolerate high salinity and high temperatures of the Aqaba climate. The total area of the open ponds is about 220 donums. Objectives of the ABO:
Bird observatories are multi purpose facilities that serve different objectives other than tourism and they are considered as a powerful educational tool when accompanied by a suitable management plan, they can be used. There are many potential opportunities to make this project as a focal point for broader spectrum of ecotourism activities at both national and international levels. The main objectives of establishing the Aqaba Bird’s Observatory are to:
Maintain and preserve habitats that are of global importance for birds. Develop Aqaba as focal point for birds watching and ecotourism activities on both national and international levels. Environmental education and as a tool for increasing the public awareness of the locals and visitors toward the importance of Aqaba for global birds migration. Scientific monitoring & Research to create database for birds and their migration. The current observatory designs and landscaping are based on two fundamental rules: To introduce the minimal required infrastructure to achieve the goals of the observatory establishment, and create landscaping that does not affect the visual character of the area and support the observatory capability to improve the bird’s habitats. Some endangered species visiting the ABO:
Madagascar (Little) Grebe. Lesser White-fronted Goose. Marbled Teal. Ferruginous Duck. White-headed Duck. Corncrake. Black Stilt. Black-winged Pratincole. Sociable Lapwing. Great Snipe. Black-tailed Godwit. White-eyed Gull. Audouin's Gull. ABO Facilities:
The Aqaba Bird Observatory has the following Facilities:
Visitors Center including lecturing rooms and internet. Bird Hides. Trails and Tracks. Research Center for bird studies. Indigenous tree nursery and Botanical Garden.
