Manifestations of Development: A Political Ecological Perspective on Development in Azraq, Jordan.

Sammanfattning: Azraq, meaning blue in Arabic, is the name of an oasis that once existed in the Eastern Desert of Jordan. Prior to the drying of the oasis in the early 1990s, the oasis was home to endemic species, millions of migrating birds from Eurasia to North Africa, as well as the Gazelle, Oryx, and Onager. The only fresh standing body of water in Jordan, The Azraq oasis was a unique habitat for a region that receives less the 100mm of precipitation annually. Some of the newest inhabitants to Azraq are Homo sapiens; today Bedouin, Druze, and Chechens call Azraq home, and stories of their migration to the oasis and the innovative methods these three communities interacted with the wetland are testaments to the human condition. This thesis explores the transformations brought by development specifically focusing on pipes, pumps, roads and capital. Using a political ecological framework this thesis examines how development has reshaped residents daily habits and lives, and the recursive affects the phenomenon of development has had on the ecosystem of Azraq.