Jordan's arid Badia: deepening our understanding

The Badia (root l:-ro bada,meaning: to be clear, come to light) is the place where the Bedu (r.:-*)live, and is the name commonly given to the arid lands of the Middle East. Though arid, these lands receive some rainfall, with occasional storms that can lead to wadi flow and even flash floods. hr most places there is thus sufficient moisture to sustain a sparse vegetation of drought tolerant plants and, therefore, an associated fauna of plant/seed eaters and larger animals that prey on them. Typically there is also great variation between seasonal and day-night temperatures, together with hours of intense sunshine and occasional strong winds. These harsh environmental conditions in the Badia traditionally have given sanctuary to the Bedu whose livelihoods were (and in places remain) sustained by camels, sheep and goats and by trading between urban centres beyond the Badia borders.
     The Jordanian Badia forms up to 85% of the country,bordering with Syria,Iraq and Saudi Arabia. In the past eighty years or so the modern world has penetrated the Badia (settlements, roads, vehicles, tele-communications, security services, etc) while many of the Bedu have adopted a village or urban life style in the Badia or elsewhere. The authorities in Jordan refer to the Badia as Jordan's strategic reserve. Some resources from this reserve (phosphates, basalt rock, clay minerals, small quantities of oil and gas, etc) are today mined, refined and used in Amman or exported. More intensive exploitation of these resources, particularly for renewable energy (wind and solar) and earth energy (oil shale, deep gas and uranium), is set to grow rapidly, which will raise questions of environmental protection and the appropriate division of employment and income with the Bedu.

CONTENTS INCLUDE: Resources, processes and modelling; Aspects of biodiversity; Live stock breeding and health; Bedu society and the livestock economy: continuity and change; Diseases and the health service; Aspects of resource management.