Geomorphology, geology and minerals, and livestock management are assessed together with regional land use and land use planning; and the overall biodiversity of the region is described. Complementary to environmental studies are social studies of the health, nutrition, employment, livelihood and disability status of the population. The Badia Programme has been able to combine modern approaches to information gathering (including techniques such as remote sensing) with the traditional knowledge of the Bedouin as twin cornerstones to achieving an understanding of the geography of this important and characteristic region of the Middle East. In the words of the project leaders 'We are learning that fragile as desert systems may be, they remain robust in terms of their ability to respond to change'. The result is, if not a textbook, a rich source of reference in human geography that will be useful to teachers and students.

The Rough Guide to Jordan is the definitive guide to the most alluring corner of the Middle East. Detailed accounts of every attraction, along with crystal-clear maps and plans, lift the lid on this fascinatingly diverse country. Explore the world wonder that is Petra, an ancient city carved from rose-red mountain cliffs. Roam the sands of Wadi Rum in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, then relax on golden beaches at Aqaba, Jordan's beautiful Red Sea resort. You'll find full-colour pictures and maps throughout, alongside insider tips on getting the best out of a visit to Amman, the buzzing Jordanian capital, as well as Crusader castles and stunningly well preserved Roman cities. Float your cares away on the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, or take in spectacular views over the Dana biosphere reserve. At every point, the Rough Guide steers you to the best hotels, cafés, restaurants and shops across every price range, giving you clear, balanced reviews and honest, first-hand opinions. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Jordan. Now available in ePub format.

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO JORDAN is the essential handbook to the Middle East's most alluring destination. Features include: Full-colour section introducing Jordan's highlights. Detailed accounts of all the sights and attractions, including the ancient city of Petra, the Red Sea resort of Aqaba and the desert cliffs of Wadi Rum. Up-to-the-minute reviews of the best places to eat, drink and stay - in all price ranges. Practical guidance on experiencing the unspoilt natural environment, from diving in the Red Sea to trekking and wildlife spotting, plus informed background on history, religion, art, politics and nature. Maps and plans for every region.

First published in 1998. This volume contains papers from The Jordan Badia Research and Development Programme which has been an excellent collaborative venture between Jordan’s Higher Council for Science and Technology and the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) of London. It has brought together numerous Jordanian and British scientists, as well as those of other nations, to study a wide variety of aspects of the physical and human environment with a view towards sustainable development.

The Rough Guide to Jordan is the definitive guide to the most alluring corner of the Middle East. Detailed accounts of every attraction, along with crystal-clear maps and plans, lift the lid on this fascinatingly diverse country. Explore the world wonder that is Petra, an ancient city carved from rose-red mountain cliffs. Roam the sands of Wadi Rum in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, then relax on golden beaches at Aqaba, Jordan's beautiful Red Sea resort. You'll find full-color pictures and maps throughout, alongside insider tips on getting the best out of a visit to Amman, the buzzing Jordanian capital, as well as Crusader castles and stunningly well-preserved Roman cities. Float your cares away on the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, or take in spectacular views over the Dana Biosphere Reserve. At every point, The Rough Guide to Jordan steers you to the best hotels, cafes, restaurants, and shops across every price range, giving you clear, balanced reviews and honest, firsthand opinions. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Jordan.

Water is in the air we breathe and beneath the ground we walk on. The very substance of life, it makes up as much as 60 percent of the human body. And yet, for one billion people there is such a thing as life without water. These are the people we meet in Dry--those who live in the dry lands of Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas, eking out an existence at once remarkable and mundane between craggy mountains, near oases, or close to well-springs surrounded by cracked earth or shifting sands. From the ingenuity of the highland people of Chile's Atacama desert who use giant nets to capture water from clouds of fog, to the ancient wisdom that protects the grazing lands of Kenya's Masai, this beautifully illustrated book tells the diverse stories about people in very hot, very cold, or very high places, who spend their lives collecting, chasing, piping, and trapping the water that life requires--all the while taking great care that no form of life, plant or animal, benefits at the expense of another. In a world of finite resources, where the struggle for shrinking sources of water intensifies daily, these stories--collected over three years by photographers, writers, and scientists from four continents--are a source of hope and wonder. This book contains a wealth of information and images designed to further awareness of the vast array of life that is carried on precariously yet proudly on the earth's dryest lands.

Alluvial fans are ubiquitous geomorphological features that occur throughout the world, regardless of climate, at the front of mountains as the result of erosion and deposition. They are more prominent in semi- and arid climates simply because of the lack of vegetative cover that masks their fan shapes in more humid areas. From both engineering and geological viewpoints, alluvial fans present particular fluvial and sedimentation hazards in semi- and arid regions because episodic rainfall-runoff events can result in debris, mud, and fluvial flows through complex and, in some cases, migratory channel systems. Further, in semi- and arid climates alluvial fans often end in terminal or playa lakes. Given the uniform topography of playa lakes, these features often present ideal locations for facilities such as airports; however, regardless of the engineering advantages of the topography, the episodic and often long-term flooding of these lakes attracts migratory birds. The purpose of this volume is to summarize the current state-of-the-art, from the viewpoint of engineering, in the identification and mitigation of flood hazard on alluvial fans; and to accomplish this a fundamental understanding of geology is required.