Prince Hassan of Jordan has recently signed a declaration of support for the traditional land management practices of Hima which is found across the Arab World. Hima (Arabic: حمى) literally translates as ‘protected area’. It is a pre-Islamic system of community management and environmental conservation and protectionfor land. Supported by Islam as well, Hima is one of the oldest indigenous conservation practices on earth. It is stated he signed this declaration due to his belief in the role of Hima in combating desertification and drought in West Asia in general and Jordan in particular. There is more information on this on the UN University website.
The IUCN has a special webpage dedicated to this management system of protected areas, with useful powerpoint and other presentations on the topic.
