What we’ve done | BARAKA

Mediterranean Experience of Eco Tourism

Client: The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature

Project: The Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism (MEET) project aims to improve the sustainability and the rationalization in distribution of the tourism sector in the Mediterranean region. In the framework of cross-border cooperation within the European Neighborhood Policy Instrument (ENPI Med), under the strategic line “Promoting the sustainable tourism for the socio-economic development and enhancement of territories”, this strategic project involves 10 countries of the Mediterranean: Italy, France, Spain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Tunisia. Baraka has been working in collaboration with 20 natural parks across 9 countries in the Mediterranean region to implement this project. Baraka also conducted a training program to partner countries and park managers of the MEET project on the participatory approach to ecotourism planning.

Shobak: Tourism Master Planning

Client: The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature

Project: The Jordan Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Jordan Rift Valley Project identified Shobak as a potential protected area along the rift valley. The proposed protected area is 77.4 square kilometers ranging in altitude from 1300 meters above sea level in the Eastern areas to 300 meters above sea level in the Wadi Araba region. Baraka and the University of Toronto were commissioned by the RSCN to create a tourism master plan for the Shobak proposed PA. The products put forward included site development plans, trail designs, and ecolodge designs.

Upcycled Playground

Project: As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, Baraka created a playground created from scrap that was upcycled into safe, and creatively designed toys. The playground was installed in Fifa Protected Area to serve the local community as a public space for entertainment.

Yarmouk Nature Reserve

Client: The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature

Project: The establishment of Yarmouk Nature Reserve was part of the Jordan Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Jordan Rift Valley Project. It is located in the northwestern parts of Jordan, at the border with the Golan Heights, and encompassing a total area of 20 km2. Baraka conducted a tourism audit and created a site development strategy for the tourism component in Yarmouk Nature Reserve. The product included an agrotourism experience, a culture and heritage experience as well as a hiking trail in one of the last remaining deciduous oak forests in Jordan. The strategy also took a new approach in integrating local communities in tourism and creating economic opportunities that feed off the natural and cultural significance of the area while empowering the local community to independently run tourism related operations.