Picturing Jordan

Sharing Jordan with the world — one picture at a time.

Azraq Wetland, a Disappearing Oasis

Small lake with bridge and vegetation in the Jordanian desert

A one of a kind oasis is at risk of disappearing soon

There’s a unique wetland nature preserve an hour and a half from Amman. In just thirty minutes of walking around, I saw birds, snakes, crabs, fish, and even water buffaloes! For thousands of years Azraq was a massive, thriving oasis whose ecological diversity supported human settlements, but in recent decades it has come dangerously close to drying up due to increased water usage from surrounding cities.

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