The Project team in Yemen now includes 61 national staff, of which 55 are Socotrans and four are permanent international staff members. Progress achieved towards the implementation of each Project objective is summarized here briefly.
Building a Biodiversity Infrastructure
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.
International Survey Effort
A total of 31 Yemeni and 28 International specialists from a wide range of regional and European institutions joined forces with the Project team in what was the largest effort ever performed towards the inventory and mapping of terrestrial and marine biodiversity of the Archipelago. The survey effort covered the islands of Socotra, Abd Al Khuri, Samha, Darsa and all other minor islands of the archipelago. Complex logistical arrangements were required, including the chartering of local dahos and of a foreign vessel equipped for diving operations. Preliminary results were used as the basis for the Conservation Zoning Plan.
Plan Delivered Ahead of Schedule
The draft Biodiversity Conservation Zoning Plan was distributed in October 1999, one year ahead of schedule. The Project produced this draft earlier than planned so as to support the GOY in sound development planning for the Archipelago. The Project conducted extensive consultation with the local community leaders. The Project staff made minor adjustments to reflect the views of community leaders. Notably, these changes directed a more conservative approach with respect to the Project team's proposal.
For instance, the community requested more protective measures for endangered areas and rejected certain proposed infrastructure development areas. The input and requests from the Socotri community leaders reflects the high level of environmental awareness of the local community, which generally assigns higher priority to long-term conservation of the natural environment than to unplanned and excessive infrastructure development. This local sentiment will no doubt provide strong support for the effective implementation of the Zoning Plan. The Government of Yemen approved the Zoning Plan on April 18th, 2000, and the relevant Presidential Decree no. 275 was issued on September 28th, 2000.
Research in Protecting Marine and Terrestrial Life
The Project's network of Environmental Extension Officers collected a significant amount of weekly fishery records and bi-monthly reports on the status of terrestrial habitats. The Project is now analyzing this data and applying it to the protection and management of marine and terrestrial target areas. Initial efforts to implement management schemes for these areas has received strong support from the local communities and authorities in Socotra.
Increasing Environmental Awareness Through Education
The environmental awareness and education effort in the Archipelago 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 led by Project staff 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.
Development of Legal Biodiversity Tools
The Project engaged an international expert to develop advanced legal biodiversity conservation tools in close collaboration with 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.
Eco-Tourism
The Project also engaged an international consultant to assist in the creation of an eco-tourism development plan for Socotra. The plan is based on preliminary results of the Project's biodiversity survey and mapping efforts.
