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Basic Project INFO

FOCAL AREA:
Biodiversity
PROJECT TITLE:
Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biodiversity of Socotra Archipelago (Socotra Biodiversity Project - SBP)
PROJECT NUMBER:
COUNTRY:
PROJECT STATUS:
PROJECT DOWNLOAD (WORD)

Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biodiversity of Socotra Archipelago (Socotra Biodiversity Project - SBP)
Including: Environment, natural resources and poverty alieviation for the populations of Socotra island ( Health and Water project – HWP)

Overview

Socotra – sometimes known as the ‘Galapagos of the Indian Ocean’ is one of the most isolated landforms which are of continental, rather than volcanic, origin. The archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra (3625 km²), three smaller islands and other uninhabitable rock outcrops. They lie 170km east of the Horn of Africa and 500km south of Yemen, to which they belong.

The main island has three geographical terrains: narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau permeated with caves, and mountains which rise to 5000 1525 meters. The climate is generally tropical desert, with light rainfall. The monsoon season brings hurricane-strength winds and high seas and in the past, the archipelago was been inaccessible by sea from June to September. However, in 1999 a new airport and improved harbour facilities improved year round Socotra’s access to the outside world.

The long geological isolation of the Socotra archipelago and its fierce heat and drought have combined to create a unique and spectacular endemic flora and fauna with hundred of rare and spectacular rare plants and small animals that are found nowhere else. More than a third of the 800 or so plant species – which include the spectacular dragon's blood tree – are indigeous to the islands. Experts beieve that further resarch will reveal even more endemic life. The archipelago is therefore a site of global importance for biodiversity conservation and botanists rank the flora of Socotra among the ten most endangered island flora in the world.

The island group also has a fairly rich bird fauna, including several endemic birds. As with many isolated island systems, bats are the only mammals native to Socotra. In contrast, the surrounding marine biodiversity around Socotra is rich, characterized by a unique mixture of species that have originated in farflung biogeographic regions: the western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, Arabia, East Africa and the wider Indo-Pacific.

Almost all inhabitants of Socotra live on the main island (estimated population 43,000 in 2004). Many still live without electricity, running water or paved roads. Some still make their homes in the island’s caves.The chief products of the island are dates, ghee, tobacco, and fish. Some residents also raise cattle, sheep and goats, or harverst frankincense from wild trees.

Throughout its history, the archipelago suffered from severe isolation due to its remote geographical position and by the fact that access by sea is impossible for half the year due to heavy monsoon winds. The lack of a suitable harbor and limited water resources prevented a significant increase of the population and the development of trade until present. These factors kept the people of Socotra away from the rest of the world for centuries and until recent times. They had to become almost completely self-sufficient, and lived in a sound balance with their environment, although their lack of access to basic human needs such as sustainable livelihoods, safe water, health services, education etc., a majority of the population of Socotra Archipelago are considered to live below the absolute poverty line.

With the very recent opening to the outside world, the archipelago is at a historic ‘crossroads’, where choices made today will affect the very basis for its future development. The scenically beautiful archipelago, which has miles of pristine white beaches and world-class diving potential, has been nominated a Man and Biosphere reserve by UNESCO, and has very high prospects for nature and culture-based tourism. The fishery sector is also currently under-exploited, and has significant potential for expansion if managed carefully and sustainably.

The two sectors of ecotourism and sustainable fisheries have been identified as the prime ‘engines of growth’ for the local economy. These strategic economic development areas are entirely based upon, and closely interlinked, with the conservation of biodiversity, natural resources, and intact landscapes.

Project description

The main goal of the project was to preserve the globally significant biodiversity of the Socotra by integrating the conservation and sustainable use of the Archipelago natural resources biodiversity with development objectives including social development, the creation of sustainable livelihood options and providing basic infrastructure services for the local communities. the two sectors of ecotourism and sustainable fisheries represent the prime ‘engines of growth’ for the local economy. These strategic economic development areas are entirely based upon, and closely interlinked, with the conservation of biodiversity, natural resources, and intact landscapes.

The main identified threats to biodiversity are associated to external pressures, such as population increase (through internal growth and immigration); unplanned infrastructural development; overcutting of timber and fuel wood tree species; localised overgrazing and over-exploitation of marine resources, such as shark, lobster, reef fish). The unique biodiversity of Socotra is also vulnerable to introduced species such as goats and to the effects of climate change.

Now that access to Socotro has been improved there is expected to be a rapid increase in exploitation of natural resources, and development of infrastructure. This would result in the loss of important habitats and species, and of potentially valuable eco-tourism areas, with associated significant decrease of the overall sustainable development potential of the islands. This would jeopardize the primary resource base for the local population, and undermine opportunities for long term development.

SELECTED PROJECT RESULTS

The project helped set up a Socotra Conservation and Development Programme Coordination Unit within the Ministry of Planning and Development in January 2002. The unit's main task is to guide, oversee and support the implementation of all conservation and development initiatives by the government and international donors and ensure the long-term preservation and environmentally sound development of the archipelago.
The Coordination Unit also collated information on the status of all recently completed, ongoing and pipeline projects in Socotra and maintains a library and database with general background information on the archipelago's geography, socio-economics, population, health, infrastructure, biodiversity and natural resources, agriculture and livestock, water resources, fisheries, history and present situation, as well as contact information for all relevant stakeholders. The unit also publishes annual reports, newsletters, pipeline proposals and issue papers.
A Conservation Zoning Plan and a subsequent Development Masterplan – which sets out a general development model based on sustainable fisheries and ecotourism – were approved by the Government of Yemen in 2000, after intensive biodiversity research by the project and consultations with local community leaders. There is a high level of environmental awareness among the local community, which generally assigns higher priority to long-term conservation of the natural environment than to unplanned and excessive infrastructure development. The trength of the Zoning Plan was demonstrated when the community successfully protested about the building of a a road through a key proteced area.
A total of 31 Yemeni and 28 international specialists from a wide range of regional and European institutions worked with the project team to map the of archipelago’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity. Preliminary results were used in drawing up the Conservation Zoning Plan.
Two pilot protected areas were established and the nucleus of a protected area management authority – comprising the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), community groups and the tourism police – was created. Road signs to the protected areas and signs marking their boundaries and specifying allowable activities have also been placed. The project worked with EPA and community groups to establish general management plans and tourism development plans for the areas, and to develop bylaws for them.
The local branch of the government of Yemen's Environmental Protection Council was significantly strengthened by the project which improved offices and laboratories, funded the construction of new facilities, and the purchase of vehicles and essential equipment. Over 55 project staff were recruited and trained.
A Socotra Conservation Fund was established to help support the long-term implementation of the zoning plan. The fund is available to local Socotris to support sustainable biodiversity use and development, such as the management of protected areas, development of biodiversity artisans and ecotourism, and to support traditional medicinal uses of biodiversity resources.
The project's network of Environmental Extension Officers collected weekly fishery records and bi-monthly reports on the status of terrestrial habitats.
The original GEF project (SBP1) was highly succesful in attracting leverage funding from a variety of sources. Funding of SBP2 and HWP (US$1.5 and 1.0 million respectively) can be considered as funds leveraged by SBP1.
A water monitoring system was developed and implemented using 18 wells around Hadibo and small-scale water interventions were carried out to provide communities with piped water. It also developed a watershed management model which was later scaled up by the Yemen government for use its water development projects Almost US$ 0.5 million was invested by the project in developing a meteo-data collection network, GIS mapping and the watershed management model.
A Socotra Eco-tourism Society was established to play a central role in the development of ecotouriwm and ensure that local communities are real partners in its development. The project has supported the development of eco-tourism by working with the Eco-tourism Society in the training of guides, English language teaching, and developing tours and tourist activities. Two information centres have been set up to dispense a variety of tourist information. A visitors’ guide to Socotra has been published. The project also hired an international consultant to help draw up an eco-tourism development plan.
A great range and number of activities have been carried out over the past six years ranging from supporting local NGOs to design and promote eco-tourism packages on the international market, and assisting communities convert from damaging lobster netting techniques to best-practice lobster trapping, to designing a master plan for the conservation zoning of the entire archipelago, and supporting research leading to the discovery and description of new plant and animal species. The mid-term evaluation report referred to 145 separate activities specified in the original SBP1 design.
10 meteorological stations were established throughout the islands to monitor rainfall and temperature, and automated meteorological station established.
Two community groups were supported in their efforts to become registered NGOs.

Legal

The project engaged an international expert to develop advanced legal biodiversity conservation tools in close collaboration with the Environmental Protection Council (EPC) and the local authorities. These tools address the access to and use of Socotra's unique biodiversity and genetic resources. The legal measures will help ensure proper regulation of biodiversity prospecting and commercial biological research in accordance with the Biodiversity Convention, while also directing benefits from such activities to local conservation and sustainable development efforts.
The project played a central role in the development of legislation controlling import and export of plants and animals, and in training police and airport officials to enforce the regulations.

Training, awareness and capacity building

The project invested significant capacity building efforts in project staff, extension officers, school teachers and interested members of the local community. Topics covered during formal training courses include: botany, zoology, bird conservation, GIS mapping and use of GPS, scuba diving, marine biodiversity, fisheries processing and marketing, marine resource management, sea turtles conservation, fundamentals of ecology, English language, eco-tourism, computer use, design and implementation of socio-economic surveys, and Geographical Information Systems. A significant amount of on-the-job training was also made possible as the local project staff participated in the biodiversity surveys and other technical work.
The project’s environmental awareness and education campaign directly reached an estimated 12,000 people through large community meetings and smaller scale village gatherings. The Project reached a much larger number of people through special events and other Project research and outreach activities.
Environmental lectures reached a total of approximately 3,000 school children and all teachers at the 37 schools of Socotra. Additionally, 171 teachers out of a total of 240 were certified after attending formal environmental education courses in Hadibu.
A network of 37 part-time community-based extension officers, supported by a full-time team of awareness and education officers, was established to carry health and other messages to the community.
One of the main objectives of the project is to create professional capacity at the local level in order to ensure the long-term continuation of biodiversity conservation efforts on the archipelago. The project designed and executed a capacity building effort for project staff, extension officers, school teachers and interested members of the local community. Topics covered during formal training courses included: botany, zoology, bird conservation, GIS mapping and use of GPS, scuba diving, marine biodiversity, fisheries processing and marketing, marine resource management, sea turtle conservation, fundamentals of ecology, English language, eco-tourism, computer use, as well as the design and implementation of socio-economic surveys. A significant amount of on-the-job training was also achieved as key project staff participated in biodiversity research and survey activities.
Project team members participated in national forums and information campaigns and were regular contributors to PERGSA (Progarmme for the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden) forums.

Health

The HWP helped improve infrastructure and build capacity in the island’s hospital and health clinics. The main hospital was improved; its buildings renovated, new equipment provided and a pharmacy constructed. A hospital waste management system was designed and support was provided for general waste management. Of 15 island health clinics, six were renovated, five equipped, four partially equipped, nine generators were installed and six generator rooms constructed. The project also supported a mobile health clinic which makes bi-monthly visits to remote island communities accompanied by awareness staff who deliver health and environmental messages in parallel with health services. HWP also provided the salary for an obstetrician, provided technical training for hospital staff.and supported a cost-sharing plan for drugs.

Partners etc

The project was implemented by UNDP and executed by the government of the Republic of Yemen and UNOPS. It was also supported by the governments of the Netherlands, Italy and Poland in partnership with a pool of international donors and NGOs. Local partners included Yemen’s Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Environment Protection Authority, Island Development Authority, local councils and local authorities. The project embraced a wide range of small and medium-scale initiatives supported by the European Union, the governments of Italy, Poland, Germany, France, UK, Oman and Kuwait, as well as UNDP and the GEF.

Website

http://www.socotraisland.org/

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