The Eastern Afromontane Hotspot is remarkable for both its high level of diversity and life-sustaining systems for millions of people and 10,856 species, a third of which (30.8 percent) are endemic.

The terraced landscapes that cover much of Yemen acts as moist refugia for endemic species in a largely arid landscape.With traditional terrace agriculture in decline, there is a significant threat to biodiversity and to local livelihoods (Varisco 1991)..

229 Amphibians, 1,299 Birds, 893 Freshwater Fishes, 490 Mammals, 7,598 Plants, and 347 Reptiles are known to occur within the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot

In Yemen, 24 Key Biodiversity Areas were identified within the Eastern Afromontane Ecosystem. The High Mountains of Ibb, Hujjariyah, Jabal al-Nabi Shuayb, Jabal Bura, Jabal Iraf, and Jabal Raymah are known as CEPF Priority Terrestrial Corridors and KBAs.