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Written By: Amira Alaya’a
Article Date: Nov 17, 2007 - 6:37:09 AM
Many officials, environmentalists, and residents of Socotra Island are becoming increasingly worried about the impact of the new road project, recently approved by President Saleh. The new road, called “the ring road,” is proposed to follow Socotra’s coastline for 189 kilometers at an estimated width of 8 meters. Many believe that the future of Socotra’s wildlife will be greatly affected by the road.
The masterminds behind the project say the road will serve the interests of Socotra’s tourism, military force, and locals; but others worry that paving a new road in the midst of this beautiful and unique coastal area would be at a cost to nature and the environment.
According to many, the new road will threaten, if not destroy, about 307 rare species. An important consideration is the fact that some of these plants are indigenous to Socotra; trees such as myrrh, frankincense and dragon’s blood, amongst others. To destroy them means to destroy the very features that distinguish Socotra from any other island in the world. “The new road is nothing but total nonsense. Is it okay to destroy the beauty of the island just for the sake of getting from place to place by car?” said Kloes Peter Lykfield, a German journalist who came to visit Socotra, in his letter to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, which implores him to halt the project. Abdul Kareem Nasher, Doctor of Biology at Sana’a University and a member of the Socotra Archipelago Conservation and Development Program, also commented, “we are not against roads in Socotra but there are some roads which don’t serve any purpose – such as this road, which will only destroy the environment.”
Officials in Socotra are working with the Socotra Archipelago Conservation and Development Program, and many other environmental organizations, to find the means to cooperate and put a stop to this project.
A meeting was held recently to discuss objections to the project that detailed the negative impacts. It outlined the irreparable harm and threat of extinction to many of the indigenous plants, especially coastal species. They claimed that the new road would also open up the area and potentially ruin the major tourist site of Bandar Shu’ub. In addition to this area, there is another area of equal significance through which the route of the new road is proposed to run.
The road will cut though the middle of a biodiversity hotspot that contains a number of endemic species whose total world distribution is restricted to the summit ridge and nearby slopes of this isolated area. The IUCN Red List says of this particular area, “the rapid development of the island poses no threat to this globally unique habitat: the area is inhospitable, inaccessible by road and there is a lack of potable water. However, the very limited distribution of the niche [habitat] will make it vulnerable to any change”. They also referred to the republican rule number 275 that prohibits any activity that may result in harm to the wildlife of Socotra.
Recommendations arising from the meeting called for coordination between the two parties involved—the environmentalists on one side and the road developers on the other. Additionally, it was proposed that a clear and specific plan be developed that determined whether there are ways to relocate the route of the road to avoid damage to the environment. All of this should be done involving correspondence with the local authorities and citizens.
All agree that the focus should be directed at preserving nature. Malek Abdul al-Aziz, SCDP Acting National Programme Manager, says that it is unfortunate that this new road does not serve any clear purpose. He says that it is far removed from the villages so it serves no use for locals inhabitants; but he suggested that it may be of a military purpose, or even serve the interests of the project contractors, who receive money for every 100 kilometres of road built.
At a local level, there are still many Socotris who are not concerned by the project and others like it. In fact, many Socotris would like their villages to be paved so that all villages are linked together. Most locals are unaware of the potential damage that can be done to the natural environment of their island.
