David B. Stanton
Project Manager
MRDS Environmental
During the past ten years, the worldwide growth of ecotourism has been phenomenal. Although Yemen lags far behind in this realm, this is not likely to always be the case. Nature has endowed Yemen with rich natural assets. It is now up to man to make Yemen safe again for tourists, and to pave the way for sustainable ecotourism development.
One of the things that limits the ecotourism potential in Yemen is a lack of protected areas. There are currently no national parks or wildlife sanctuaries in this country although there are many areas here which are worthy of protection. Studies are currently underway to identify sites of special interest and to investigate the feasibility of creating a park system. Significant areas on Socotra are in the process of assessment for protection purposes. These are major steps in a process that may eventually lead to new laws granting protection to important natural areas.
Designating national parks and other protected areas automatically puts them on the tourist map and sets the stage for their preservation while providing regional employment. Such natural areas as Jebel Bur'a, Jebel Iraf, and the mangrove forest on Kamaran Island are special sites which should be protected. Wadis Rima, Sari, and Surdud, among many others, should also receive protection. The Aden and Hodeidah marshes are just two of the many places in Yemen where wildlife sanctuaries should be created.
Protective legislation for these and other natural areas would set the stage for a phase of sensitive ecotourist development that would eventually provide employment while ensuring that these places survive well into the future. Experience in other parts of the world has shown that tourists are willing to pay more for a service when they are sure that it adheres to ecotourism guidelines. In other words, that waste is disposed of in a way that doesn't harm the environment, that the development doesn't harm wildlife, and that local people benefit from the development.
Obviously, all of this will take time, but the process has started, and Yemen may someday join the ranks of the few enlightened nations that use their resources sustainably. Unlike many other countries, Yemen is in the unique position of being able to preserve, rather than having to restore, its natural resources.

Ismail Al-Ghabri
Yemen Times
Many students impatiently await the summer vacation that implies the end of worries and efforts spent in studying and examinations. It simply means comfort and fun for them. However, they soon find out that there are certain things hindering their desired plans. This, in fact, can be attributed to the following reasons:
1- Many schools think that their tasks are confined to looking after students only during the study terms.
2- Family members' ignorance of the importance of exploiting the summer vacation properly. This is more found among families of illiterate parents who can not properly direct their children to take advantage of this period fruitfully. Giving free rein to children may produce regrettable results. Being free and having nothing to do, they may be allured to bad guys abandoning themselves to bad habits such as smoking, eve teasing in the streets, or taking to drinks... etc.
3- Lack of educational, cultural, technical centers in which students can spend their leisure times doing useful things.
4- Lack of public libraries, over and above the youths' ignorance of the importance of reading .
5- Insufficient role of media with regard to raising the students' awareness of the significance of proper utilization of the summer vacation.
6- Absence of coordination between the authorities concerned, i.e., Ministries of Youths and Education. They only occasionally cooperate. Each one looks after its own internal affairs.
7- Qat sessions and computer games halls which allure many youths.
8- As far as girls are concerned, they spend their leisure times either watching TV or loitering around streets without trying to benefit themselves by doing profitable jobs.
9- Lack of awareness about the value of time among society members, in general and youths in particular. We in Yemen, are unable, or unwilling to realize the importance of time and how to exploit it to make positive achievements.
10- There are centers for teaching the Holy Quran. However, these, unfortunately, do not propagate enough for their activities. As such, many parents remain ignorant of the positive results their children can gain from such centers.
11- Languages and computer teaching institutes require high fees that some families can not afford. The result of this is always the refusal of parents to enroll their children in these institutes.
12- Sports clubs do not give the cultural side its due attention.

In developed and advanced countries, more attention is paid to youths and their demands. They work hard to create the suitable atmosphere for youths to benefit from their abilities and energies. Unfortunately, in Yemen, understanding of the importance of this section of society seems to be conspicuous by its absence.