Yemen declared its Socotra archipelago on the Indian Ocean an independent province on Wednesday (December 18th).
The Yemeni parliament and president approved the law, which confirms the new status of Socotra, which was previously part of Hadramaut province.
"The conversion of Socotra into an independent province came because it has a natural make-up that is unique in the world, and also so it can be given more attention in terms of projects and infrastructure, and granted independence in its decision-making," said Issa Abdullah al-Qaisi, deputy governor of Hadramaut province for Socotra affairs.
The inhabitants of Socotra have long asked that the islands be designated an independent province as they lie approximately 500 kilometres from Hadramaut and encompass 3,600 square kilometres, "an area larger than that of some countries", he told Al-Shorfa.
"Thus it was necessary to convert it and the surrounding islands into a province in order to focus development efforts towards it on a broader scale, as for any other province," al-Qaisi said.
The law that established the province also provides for the implementation of a variety of projects to develop Socotra while preserving its diverse
natural wealth, he said.
Yemen's parliament has directed the government to speed the completion of infrastructure and service projects in the new province and to provide equipment and resources to enable the local authorities to carry out their duties.
Before development work begins in Socotra, however, an environmental impact study must be conducted, parliament said.
"Socotra has all the elements of a province in terms of diversity of resources," said Mehdi al-Abbasi of the Ministry of Local Administration.
"Implementing infrastructure projects must be expedited, especially those pertaining to the sewage system, treatment plants, roads and electricity, and in such a way as to preserve the unique environmental and natural diversity of the island," he said.
Investment projects should be established far from Socotra's nature reserves, al-Abbasi said, and local residents and their environment, culture and customs must be taken into account in order to achieve development that is economically and culturally balanced.
A TOP TOURIST DESTINATION
The political unrest in Yemen over the past few years hurt the economy in general and
tourism in particular, said Yahya al-Sakkab, director general of the eco-tourism department at the Ministry of Tourism.
"The island of Socotra was the exception, as tourists continued to flock to it for its environmental and natural diversity," he said.
It is therefore necessary to put in place infrastructure and tourism projects to help it maintain its position as a top tourist site, which will benefit the province, its inhabitants and Yemen, he said.
The Ministry of Tourism is considering several such projects for the island, including a diving centre that would offer training and integrated services for divers, he said, noting that several experts are set to visit the island to help select a site for the centre.
The island is "one of the top tourist destinations in the world for its unique characteristics and coral reefs", al-Sakkab said.
Besides tourism, Socotra has other economic resources, including fish, meat and
honey, said Mustafa Nasr, head of Yemen's Studies and Economic Media Centre.
The decision to designate Socotra as a legally independent province is in its best interest and will lead to an increase in its budget, he told Al-Shorfa.
"The local authority should work on accounting for all the essential projects it needs done so they can be included in the general budget," Nasr said.
"The island is in dire need of infrastructure and services, as well as the establishment of a number of government investment projects to help it attract additional private sector investment," he said.
UNESCO designated Socotra a
World Heritage Site in 2008.
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