passing through Azraq, one's initial impression is of a dusty truck stop 
rather than a lush oasis. The two villages, dating back 80 years, have also 
grown, but at least there is now a choice of hotels and a modem 
government rest house. However, amongst other things, a nulitary 
airfield has now been built, agriculture has become established and there 
is now little hope that the planned desert reserve will be designated. 
Azraq oasis essentially comprises a (formerly) permanent, spring-fed 
wetland; and a large, seasonally flooded mudflat ('qa' in Arabic). 
The marsh (Azraq Wetland Reserve) 
In the 1960s, the two major springs flowed into the marshes at an 
impressive rate of 7.5 million gallons/day, as they must have done when 
Colonel Meinertzhagen visited Azraq in 1922 and first described this 
'perfect paradise for birds with green meadows, pools and bushes.' It was 
not long, however, before the potential of this valuable underground 
water resource was recognised, and as far back as 1963 water was being 
pumped to the city of Irbid. Various consultants, visiting naturalists and 
indeed the Jordanian Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature 
pointed to the problems in maintaining a wetland area whilst exploiting 
the water resource. However, demand soon overtook conservation 
warnings for restraint, and from 1979 water was being pumped to 
Amman and Irbid at ever-increasing rates, which soon exceeded safe 
extraction rates. Row into the marshes of the newly established Wetland 
Reserve soon reduced to virtually nil, as Peter Conder discovered when 
he visited Azraq in April 1981. Measured flow rates in 1986 had fallen to 
a quarter of their former figure and are now even less. Over-exploitation 
has already led to a reduction in water quality, but at least this may result 
in a reduction in pumping rates. 
The net result is that the pools and marshes of Azraq oasis have become 
a poor remnant of their former glory, and water rarely flows beyond the 
immediate vicinity of the village pools. The oasis was formerly the 
breeding site of many wetland birds and some 347,000 ducks wintered in 
the marshes. The number of wintering ducks was down to 2,500 in early 
1979 (Conder 1982) and now the winter population probably never 
exceeds 100-200, mainly Teal Anas crecca. Losses to the breeding birds are 
also great, especially amongst those dependent on marsh vegetation and 
water. In the 1960s, a community of 28 aquatic species was recorded 
breeding (or possibly breeding) at Azraq (Wallace 1983). I have no 
suspicion of any herons nesting now. Water Rails Rallus aqmticus and 
Moorhens Gallinula chloropus may still breed - but in considerably lower 
numbers - but Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis, Mallard Anas 
platyrhynchos and Garganey A querqedula now only visit on passage. 
More than 200 pairs of Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola nested 
along the edge of the marsh in 1969 (Nelson 1973) and it was good to see 
10 successful pairs in the same area in 1991. 
14 
