Yemen celebrates the inclusion of Socotra archipelago as a World Heritage Natural Site

The United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) announced enlisting the island of the Socotra archipelago to its list of World Heritage Natural Sites (WHNS) during a meeting that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Canada last month. The Yemeni National Museum and the Ministry of Water and Environment celebrated this event in a surprisingly raucous celebration last Sunday, which can only be described as Bacchanal.  

The World Heritage Committee, meeting for its 32nd session, finished inscribing new sites on the UNESCO WHNS list on 8 July with the addition of 19 cultural and eight natural sites to the list; Socotra was among the newly-enlisted natural sites.

This historic event underscores the universal importance of Socotra and the need to protect its unique natural and cultural values. It has been recognized for its biodiversity by a number of other organizations and classification systems, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Conservation International (recognized as a Biodiversity Hotspot), Birdlife International (containing 22 important Bird Areas), Plantlife International (identified as a center of Plant Diversity) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

“We can proudly say that the inscription as a World Heritage Site is the highest commendation a place can receive - a real recognition of global significance - and brings with it international prestige,” said Abdul-Karim al-Eryani, Chairman of Socotra Conservation Fund.  

The classification of a World Heritage Site brings along with it both benefits and responsibilities. Socotra Archipelago’s natural and cultural values should be carefully preserved for future generations, said Abdul-Rahman al-Eryani, Minister of Water and Environment. “These natural and cultural values are the most precious asset for long-term sustainable economic development for the people of those islands, as well as a precious resource for all of Yemen.” 

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