Amman, Jordan’s bustling capital, is not just a city of ancient ruins and vibrant souks—it’s also home to a growing number of eco-friendly parks and green spaces. These areas offer a refreshing escape from urban life while promoting sustainability and environmental awareness. Here are ten eco-conscious parks and spaces you should explore in Amman:

1. Al Hussein Public Parks – A sprawling space with beautifully landscaped gardens, cultural exhibits, and recreational areas. It’s designed to promote environmental awareness through its natural features and sustainable landscaping.
2. King Hussein Park – Known for its wide-open green spaces, walking paths, and eco-friendly design, this park is perfect for families and nature lovers looking to unwind in an urban setting.
3. Sharhabil Bin Hassneh EcoPark – Located just outside Amman, this eco-park is a haven for biodiversity. It offers hiking trails, bird-watching spots, and environmental education programs focused on sustainability and conservation.
4. Jordan EcoPark – Nestled in the Jordan Valley, this park is a model for eco-tourism. Visitors can explore its diverse wildlife, scenic trails, and learn about local conservation efforts.
5. Wild Jordan Center – More than just a park, this eco-tourism hub in downtown Amman promotes sustainable living through eco-friendly workshops, organic products, and breathtaking views of the city.
6. The Hashemite Plaza – While known for its Roman ruins, the plaza also features green spaces that blend historical charm with sustainable urban design, creating a balance between culture and nature.
7. Prince Hashem Bird Garden – A peaceful sanctuary for bird lovers, this garden offers a safe habitat for local and migratory birds while educating visitors about avian conservation efforts.
8. Japanese Park – A serene space inspired by Japanese garden aesthetics, promoting harmony with nature and mindfulness through minimalist landscaping and eco-friendly principles.
9. King Abdullah Park – A favorite among locals, this park offers ample green space, shaded walking paths, and recreational facilities designed with environmental sustainability in mind.
10. Zahran Park – A community-focused park known for its lush greenery and commitment to maintaining a clean, eco-friendly environment for residents and visitors alike.

These parks showcase Amman’s dedication to blending green spaces with sustainable living, offering both locals and tourists a chance to connect with nature while supporting eco-friendly initiatives.

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It took six years to transform a vast, barren space into a tree-filled, ecological habitat. Before 2004 there was nothing but dry, neglected land. The EcoPark has come a long way since we first reported its opening.

Visitor numbers are continually on the up, reaching 20,000 last year. On weekends in spring it’s not unusual for the park to see 2,000 visitors, ranging from families, to school groups and nature lovers all wanting to make the most out of the open green space, and enjoy the flora and diverse ecological habitats.

With its growing popularity (it’s even hosting the annual Jordan Valley Triathlon and Duathlon next month!) and to cope with the increasing visitor numbers, the EcoPark is upgrading its facilities. It’s recently installed new 26-kilowatt solar smart panels moving with the sun to catch its light and providing power to the information center and cabins.

Work is ongoing also on a new kitchen, toilets and seating area that will be ready in spring, and cabins with private bathroom facilities are planned for the future.

The EcoPark already has a giant swing in place to delight and challenge visitors, but it’s planning more adventure games for summer, including two new zip lines, one sweeping across Jordan’s first dam – the Ziglab dam – which was built in 1964. In keeping with its eco-friendly ethos, the new kitchen and toilets will be housed in recycled containers and private bathroom facilities will be provided with fresh spring water from the dam.

The story of Sharhabil EcoPark

Jordan is one of the driest countries in the world, and its problem of water shortages has long been documented. After seeing the destruction and the deterioration of  the Ziglab dam and the land surrounding it, a group of environmentalists from EcoPeace Middle East decided that they needed to do something. They rented 100 dunam of land from the Jordan Valley Authority, began to plant trees and monitor environmental threats.

The pilot project was so successful that they were given more land and grants, fenced off the area to prevent overgrazing. The park opened to the public in 2008. It now has 56 species of birds, walking trails and wooden cabins for visitors to stay in.

Educational initiatives

Part of the SHE EcoPark’s mission has always been to increase public awareness about the environment and to preserve ecological habitats in the Jordan River Valley. Recycling and sustainability haven’t been a priority in Jordan and green governmental policies are greatly lacking in Jordan. But the park aims to change this.

One way SHE EcoPark does this is by organizing events and projects for children from schools and community organizations around Jordan. With Jordan’s water shortage issues and having poor recycling infrastructure, educating the future generation about water conservation and recycling is paramount.

Recently a group of orphans from Amman that came to spend the day enjoying the fresh air, the grassy trails and games. After having breakfast cooked by two local women, they set off on a two-hour hike around the park, passing a bird-watching hut hide made from 2000 recycled plastic bottles filled with sand, learning that litter can be reused again for something useful.

The EcoPark’s manager Othman Al-Tawalbeh said that there are many ways that we can benefit from recycling and he wants to get this point across to visitors.  “We want to teach people how they can benefit from plastic by using easy-to-teach practices,” he said when describing a second use the park has for discarded plastic bottles – mosquito traps!

The geodesic dome – a structure made from metal – was another  huge hit with the children. Apart from learning about alternative ecological building techniques, they saw how an open air theater worked. The dome is used as a stop off point along one of the trails and provides a very apt space for environmental discussions, teaching visitors about the regional water conflict.

Mr Tawalbeh explained that although children have spend a fantastic time at the park,  it takes time and management to teach kids to care for the environment. “80% of the children leave the park with rich knowledge about caring for the environment, but there are still challenges of course in getting all children to understand the importance of sustainability and caring for the environment,” he added.

Working with the local community

As well as working with the general public to improve sustainability, the park also works with the local community. There have been problems in the past with cattle overgrazing, but the park and local Bedouins work together to reduce the effects. The Ziglab dam pumps water to the Bedouins for their own use and in return they conserve the main water reserves of the dam.

The SHE EcoPark park also relies on locally grown and made produce,  such as pomegranates, olives, oranges and lemons. Local Bedouins come and attend to bee hives in the park and sell the honey in the small visitors’ shop. Groups coming to learn more about nature and the environment also have the chance to drink and eat with a local Bedouin family.

Walking trails, bikes and a shady picnic areas are just some of the many ways to enjoy this calm eco-haven with rolling hills and magnificent views. The visiting children enjoyed it greatly. On returning from the two-hour walk tired, but animated, and full of new information one child commented: “This is already the best day I’ve had in ages.”

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At 70 hectares big, the Hiria garbage dump is pretty hard to miss.It’s literally a mountain of garbage. 

Located off of the road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Hiria is a cautionary tale of consumerism, excess waste, and what happens when you don’t reduce, reuse and recycle. YOu will see it on the way to Tel Aviv from the airport.

An ecological disaster since 1952 when it first became a dumping ground for the trash of the greater Tel Aviv region, Hiria is now being rejuvenated into a symbol of renewal and transformed into part of a greater park project.

The rehabilitation of the park includes the creation of a multi functional landscape to be available to the public, and the simultaneous reversal of existing ecological damage.

Environmentally pro-active activities taking place near the former garbage dump include a recycling park (which is used as an educational tool for both local and international professionals) and clean energy (the methane gas resulting from the decomposition of the garbage at Hiria is converted into energy). 

A visitor’s center, which was design by eco-friendly designer Brigitte Cartier has also being created in order to educate children and school groups about the damages of garbage and, in that way, nip future environmental damage in the bud.

Activities at the visitor’s center will include educational programs that provide information about Hiria’s past, a resource center about the park’s current development, guided tours, and the option to host public or private events.

Certain recreational activities are already available in the park, such as bike and hiking trails. Have no fear, though – the park managers promise that all nasty garbage odors have been eliminated.

During the month of July, special family-oriented and eco-art activities are available:

Family Tours and Reuse Workshops 

Re-Use Art Workshops with Brigitte Cartier 

In the future, though, let’s try to avoid another Hiria-esque situation. See more Green Prophet advice about avoiding garbage at Mulch, rot, and reinvigorate: Composting and Yoav Kotik Giveaway and Cool Reuse Ideas.

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