South Red Sea & Gulf of Alden Coastal Drylands bioregion

The South Red Sea & Gulf of Alden Coastal Drylands bioregion, located in the Sub-Saharan Afrotropics, consists of 12 ecoregions — Red Sea Mangroves [1], Djibouti Xeric Shrublands [2],  Eritrean Coastal Desert [3], Horn of Africa Xeric Bushlands [4], Somali Montane Xeric Woodlands [5], Hobyo Grasslands and Shrublands [6], Socotra Island Xeric Shrublands [7], South Arabian Fog Woodlands, Shrublands, and Dune [8], Southwest Arabian Escarpment Shrublands and Woodlands [9], Southwest Arabian Coastal Xeric Shrublands [10], Southwest Arabian Montane Woodlands and Grasslands [11], Southwest Arabian Highland Xeric Scrub [12], encompassing the Horn of Africa, the southern Red Sea and Alden Sea, and the southernmost tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The bioregion is mostly desert with some drylands and scrublands and covers an area of approximately 78 million hectares, not including mangroves and adjacent marine areas in the Red Sea. The Horn of Africa is home to both the frankincense and myrrh trees and contains many endemic and rare animals adapted to the region’s dry and hot climate.

One Earth is dedicated to mobilizing philanthropic capital to protect the ecosystems and peoples of the Afrotropics. Visit the Project Marketplace​ ​to explore projects in this realm that need your support. Learn more about each of the ​South Red Sea & Gulf of Alden Coastal Drylands ecoregions below.