The last N. Bald Ibis survivors of Palmyra are a flagship (and a stark symbol) of the dramatic and still on-going desertification of the Syrian steppe ecosystem which affects in first place the indigenous mobile people, whose livelihoods completely rely on its natural resources– the same resources also key for the survival of ibises: cultural and biodiversity heritage of the Syrian desert are both critically endangered due to a complex cocktail of problems ultimately reflected in the over-grazing of pastures (see picture above), uncontrolled and extensive uprooting of shrubs as firewood, uncontrolled (& illegal) hunting and uncontrolled infrastructure development.

The ecological crisis of the Syrian steppe is described in details in publications Al Talila Assessment (2009).