The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra
As part of its continuous support to the PDTRA, UNESCO Office in Amman has recently carried out an assessment of human waste management in the World Heritage site of Petra. From 11 to 17 of December 2011 an international UNESCO expert made a thorough assessment of the current waste management conditions in the site. Based on this assessment the expert will develop a set of concrete recommendations on how to improve management of human waste in Petra in line with international best practices in early 2012.
Human waste management is a complex issue in itself but even more so at archeological sites where high numbers of visitors and fragile archaeological features are additional factors to be considered. In the case of Petra, the nature and size of the site constitute further challenges. Moreover, water scarcity, visitor sensitivity and the difficult accessibility of certain areas of the site for waste vehicles and visitors need to be considered.
Following the principles of best-practice in World Heritage sites the expert will recommend most suitable locations for toilets inside the site of Petra and propose designs for eco-friendly units that will have the least visual and ecologic impact on this fragile and unique site that receives up to 4,000 visitors per day during high season.
For further information please contact Ms. Vanessa Kaoukji, v.kaoukji@unesco.org