Environment
In many inland areas the felling of even a single living tree cannot be done without the agreement of a council of village leaders. Traditional management methods such as these have arguably only survived because the islands have been remarkably cut off from the outside world, and from the mixed blessings of development which closer contacts invariably bring.
The pristine condition of the natural environment of the islands is largely due to the respect that Socotrean traditions have for natural resources - for instance, camels are deliberately excluded from large areas of the island because they can upset the delicate balance in the plant communities there.
A possible explanation for the large numbers of fish close to shore here is that there is almost no fishery for inshore fish at any of these islands. Local villagers catch what they need for their personal consumption, and no more.
The first signs of potential problems are, however, beginning to appear, and finding ways to help the people of the islands to improve the quality of their lives through increased education, health care and development, without threatening the future of biological diversity here is now a priority.
Local villagers catch what they need for their personal consumption, and no more. But this situation is likely to change quickly, in particular for relatively high value species of shallow water animals, such as the rock lobster. In a classic demonstration of unsustainable fisheries, the lobster population of nearby the mainland of Yemen has been decimated in the past three or four years. Now the lobster boats are looking for other sources, with Socotra the obvious target. 

Fauna
- Birds
The unique bird world is already an attraction. It is not difficult to watch the birds in the various landscapes. There are ca. 105 kind of birds - 30 species are coming during the breeding time to Soqotra.
6 species only exists at this island - unfortunately three kinds are endangered by extinction:
Al-Zarzur Al-Soqotri,
Al-Hazijah Al-Soqotriyah,
Al-Dirasah Al-Soqotriyah.
The island has the most native birds in the Middle East. Furthermore there are certain species, which exists in a great number in comparison to other regions of the world.
e.g. Egyptian Rakhmah 

- Animals
The cows at the island derive from the famous "Christian cows", which had been brought to Soqotra by the Portuguese during their occupation since 1507.
Furthermore, the Soqotri goat derives from imported species from Western Europe and Russia. The goat has a small corpus with a long tail and moves free in big herds in the wide and fertile lowlands. There are no dogs at the islands.
The only beast is the Soqotri cat. She is bigger than a normal cat. The famous odour Misk is produced from a secrete of the cat. 
- Reptiles
The reptilian fauna is also very rich with 19 out of a total of 22 species regarded as endemics.
There is evidence of turtle nesting sites on the islands, which may be of global importance, and certainly have regional significance. 

Infrastructure
The south-west monsoon, which kicks up high seas in the area from April to October, has created a physical barrier to access since earliest times. Even during the calmer periods landing there may still be difficult due to a combination of logistical problems, including the absence of adequate harbour facilities.
The island had been during the British rule, used either as temporary depot for refuge of the British crews and seamen, or as the light-house location for guidance of the marine route for their ships. It was also known to be one military garrison for the British troops. 
Recently, in May 1999 the first International Airport Hadibu was inaugurated. Furthermore, the construction of a modern port started in the beginning of the year 1999. There a small number of vehicles available.
Except of a small hotels in Hadibu, visitors can only sleep at public guest houses and schools.