Yemen's unique island under threat

by The Manila Times

Jun 08, 2021 12:20 am

SANAA: Centuries-old umbrella-shaped dragon's blood trees line the rugged peaks of Yemen's Socotra - a flagship symbol of the Indian Ocean archipelago's extraordinary biodiversity, but also a bleak warning of environmental crisis.

Forests of these ancient trees are being decimated by increasingly intense storms, while replacement saplings are gobbled by proliferating goat herds, leaving the fragile biological hotspot vulnerable to desertification.

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