Mujib

The Mujib Biosphere Reserve was established in 1987 in west-central Jordan and protects some 212 km² along the canyon of the river Mujib, which flows into the Dead Sea.

Its most cited feature is altitudinal: the reserve descends from some 900 metres above sea level on the eastern plateau to 410 metres below sea level on the shore of the Dead Sea, which makes it the lowest-lying nature reserve on the planet. That drop of more than one thousand three hundred metres within a few kilometres produces a highly compressed succession of environments, from upland Mediterranean scrub to the salt desert of the depression.

The main canyon and its tributaries form narrow sandstone gorges through which water runs all year, an exceptional feature in the region, and walking them along the streambed itself, swimming and climbing in places, is the reserve's characteristic activity. It is home to Nubian ibex, the subject of a breeding and reintroduction programme, caracal, striped hyena and a notable cliff-dwelling birdlife. Management is in the hands of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature of Jordan, which combines protection with local employment and tourism.