ZOOM meeting: Zoom ID will be posted on WhatsApp and emailed one day prior to the meeting.

Guests Welcome

BIODIVERSITYY OF SOCOTRA ARCHIPELAGO (YEMEN)

Socotra Island is in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Yemen, an Archipelago. An isolated place of odd, beautiful plant and animal life, the island was designated as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in 2003 and World Heritage Site in 2008, described as “The most alien-looking place on Earth” and the most beautiful island of the world. 

There are hundreds of unique flora and fauna that can only be found here. A third of its plant life is endemic, like the unique Dragon’s blood tree, Frankincense and desert rose which grows a lovely pink flower. It also hosts a variety of endemic birds, insects, reptiles, crustacean, and corals.

Salem Hamdiah, Ing (Engineer), Manager of Biodiversity Management in Socotra Archipelago, Yemen, was born on the island. Postgraduate from Mendel University in Brno, Czech Rep., he is pursuing doctoral studies at University of Ljubljana, Rep. of Slovenia.

Mr. Hamdiah, member of World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves (WNISCBR), UNESCO, and representative of Socotra Archipelago, will present to us the beauty and secret biodiversity of this enchanted island.

Varsha Alwani       Shabana Abdulkarim