By Adnan Budieri, former head of BirdLife International Middle East Division
My journey with nature and protected areas began after I graduated with a degree in Nature Conservation and Marine & Freshwater Reserves. I was appointed as Assistant Director of Protected Areas at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in Jordan, where I was responsible for managing six reserves and establishing six more. These included Dana in Tafileh, Mujib in Karak, Zubia in Ajloun, Azraq Wetland Reserve, and the Shomari Wildlife Reserve in Azraq.
The Hima Concept: A Turning Point
My real engagement with the Hima concept began in 1992, when I was invited to the IUCN Regional Meeting in Sicily, Italy. During the discussions, most participants agreed that traditional protected areas in Arab countries failed to fully achieve conservation goals. The reason? They isolated local communities from natural resources instead of allowing sustainable use.
This led to the realization that reviving the Hima concept—which integrates nature protection with sustainable livelihoods—was the key to harmonizing conservation with community needs.
Regional and International Contributions
In 1994, as a representative of BirdLife International in Jordan, I contributed to mapping Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in the Middle East. The database was presented in Rosenheim, Germany, where I was honored to be selected as the Arab representative on BirdLife’s governing board.
In 1995, I was commissioned by Wetlands International to compile a database on Jordan’s important wetlands, which was later published in 1996 in the book A Guide to Wetlands of the Middle East.
By 1997–1998, after Richard Porter retired as BirdLife’s Middle East Director, I had the privilege of assuming that position. My role was to build strong partnerships between Arab environmental organizations, assist them in designating and managing IBAs, and promote bird conservation in the region.
In 2008, I was appointed as Coordinator for Wetlands Protection in the Mediterranean, based in Athens. This involved:
✅ Identifying and declaring important wetland areas (coastal, freshwater, and inland wetlands)
✅ Creating a strong conservation network among NGOs and ministries
✅ Securing funding for wetland protection projects
Returning to Jordan: Sustainable Development & Hima Advocacy
In 2010, I returned to Jordan to lead the Jordanian Society for Sustainable Development (JSSD), where our main focus was establishing Himas. We worked closely with local communities to:
🌱 Promote sustainable land use
💰 Secure funding for eco-friendly development
🏞 Ensure long-term conservation of natural resources
A Lifelong Commitment to Nature
Although I officially retired in 2015, I remain an active environmental volunteer, supporting initiatives with:
🌍 The Jordanian Society for Climate Change & Environment
🏞 The Global Hima Organization
🤝 Other conservation networks
My passion for protecting nature, empowering communities, and promoting sustainable conservation continues to drive my work, proving that true environmental stewardship lasts a lifetime.
We hope you enjoy reading the Magazine
Al-Hima-Magazine-Issue-No.-4
