The representative of Yemen to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) warned of the possibility of including Socotra Island on the list of world heritage sites in danger due to its exposure to investment violations, urban distortion, and the introduction of plants from outside the island that affected the plant life.

Ambassador Muhammad Jameh said on Thursday that the meetings of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee currently held in New Delhi discussed the status of the island located on the eastern coast of Yemen, which has been included since 2008 on the list of global marine sites of biological importance.

He added, “The reports received from the UNESCO committee meeting mentioned a number of risks, including construction investments, illegal urban expansion, intensive fishing operations, and the introduction of plants from outside the island that affected plant life.”

He continued, saying, “In recent days, we have worked with delegations from brotherly and friendly countries to avoid placing the island on the danger list, with a commitment to comply with the requirements of UNESCO, which decided to send a monitoring committee.”

He pointed out that the continuation of these activities and the current situation threatens the possibility of placing Socotra on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Socotra Island is the largest of the Yemeni islands and is located near the Gulf of Aden. It is the main island in an archipelago consisting of six islands on the Indian Ocean. The island is classified among the four most important islands in the world in terms of biological and plant diversity.

Those interested in cultural affairs in Yemen say that Socotra is currently undergoing a change in its natural environment due to increasing urban sprawl, the absence of services and development projects there, and weak environmental awareness.

There are four sites in Yemen on the World Heritage Sites list, next to Socotra. UNESCO included the cities of Shibam Hadhramaut and its walls, ancient Sana’a, and the historic city of Zabid on the World Heritage List in 1982, 1986, and 1993, respectively, but with increased risks in these cities due to... A decline in national efforts to preserve them. In 2015, the organization decided to place the three cities on the List of World Heritage in Danger, a step that usually precedes removing any city from the World Heritage List if the national authorities do not work to remove violations.

Finally, in 2023, UNESCO included the landmarks of the ancient Kingdom of Sheba in Ma’rib Governorate on the World Heritage List. In addition, the Tentative Indicative List of World Heritage Sites includes nine sites