Event reports
The field trip started close to Jericho with the participation in the kick off for an extensive renovation of a 825 square meter mosaic belonging to Hischam’s Palace, that was built in the 8th century. The kick-off was attended by the minister of tourism and ICP-Alumni Rula Maaja. The mosaic was covered for its protection for over 20 years. It is supposed to be renovated until 2018 and afterwards open to the public.
Next the field trip provided a guided tour took the focus on ecological aspects. First the tour stopped at the ruin of a former Restaurant, that use to be close to the dead sea, nowadays the water can only be seen on the horizon. The Dead Sea water shrinks every years a couple of meters, due to so many factors, some of which is the insufficient water from the Jordan River passes on. The next tour stop was the baptism sign at Jordan River. Once the river was tearing, today it is just a brown trickle. Therefore the Death sea might try out in future and a salt desert remains.
The last stop of the tour was Auja Eco-Center, a project of the KAS partner organization Eco-Peace. Its goal consists of raising the Ecotourism in the Jordan valley and educate about the environmental issues and its effects on humankind. The participants of the annual Diploma Program in Public Administration got an introduction of the Eco-Center’s work, to gain more knowledge about the environmental situation in the Jordan valley and its challenges for the residents. More over the participants’ sensibility of those ecological issues was raised, so it will find its way into their daily local governmental work.