Yemen tackles water scarcity issues

Yemen is set to build its first desalination plant to address its water scarcity issues, among the most severe in the region, said Minister of Water and Environment Abdulsalam Razzaz.

The new $300 million plant will desalinate water and generate electricity, he told Al-Shorfa.

Razzaz spoke with Al-Shorfa about how Yemen is addressing its water shortage issue and other projects it hopes to tackle in this arena.

Al-Shorfa: What is the true scope of the water situation in Yemen?

Abdulsalam Razzaz: Yemen is a semi-arid country, the one with the most severe water shortages in the Arab region for several reasons: a large population, increasing population growth rates and limited rainfall -- even though it is an agricultural country -- which has exacerbated this serious issue.

The precarious water situation in Yemen can be better appreciated when you consider it is the only country in the world that uses groundwater for agriculture, industry and for drinking.

Around 90% of groundwater is used in agriculture as well as in traditional irrigation, resulting in a dramatic waste of water resources.

For this reason, Yemen has no other solution but to resort to sea water desalination. This is an option we cannot rule out. We will [soon] sign an agreement with the Saudi Fund for Developmentto finance the first desalination plant with $300 million to provide water for Taiz and Ibb provinces and then Aden and Lahij. As for Sanaa, it also is in line for desalination in the next decade.

Al-Shorfa: Will Yemenis be able to afford the cost of desalinated water?

Razzaz: We are betting on the technology and its continual advancement in bringing water to consumers from the desalination plant. In addition, the Taiz and Ibb plants will generate power as well as desalinate water, so the Ministry of Electricity and Energy will foot the bill for transporting the water. This will help provide this service to people at affordable prices. The plant will use the energy it needs to transport the water and the rest will be sold to the state.

Over the past two years, we have been working with the World Bank to finalise the procedures involved in securing funding to build this plant, because it is the only available solution.

Al-Shorfa: What about qat cultivation and its effect on the water situation in Yemen?

Razzaz: Qat cultivation poses a threat to the water and environmental situation, which is evident given the amounts of water used in [its] cultivation. For example, growing qat consumes 60% of groundwater from the Sanaa Basin. Growing qat also causes some environmental damages, as pesticides that do not comply with recognised standards are used, thus polluting the soil, the environment, groundwater and agricultural products posing a health and economic threat to society.

Annual groundwater consumption is at 3.5 billion cubic metres while only 2 billion cubic metres of water are being replaced, which means a deficit of 1.5 billion cubic metres. This has impacted the water allowance for each individual on an annual basis, making Yemenis the lowest per capita consumers of water in the world.

Al-Shorfa: Will Sanaa be able to survive for a decade in light of high consumption with annual rainfall dwindling?

Razzaz: We conducted a study on supplying the Sanaa Basin from the nearby eastern, southern and western areas and we found that groundwater wells in Bani Matar to the west of Sanaa, Hizaiz south of Sanaa and Khawlan east of Sanaa have not yet been tapped – the drilling went only as far as utilising surface wells. These wells will allow Sanaa to survive for another 30 years. After that, we can build a desalination plant for the capital and by then, technological advances will have brought down the cost of building such plants.

Al-Shorfa: What other health and environmental projects are under way?

Razzaz: The ministry is implementing many water sanitation projects in Yemeni provinces including Sanaa, Taiz, Hadramaut, Shabwa and al-Mahra, among others. We have signed contracts with investors that are worth $270 million, with $54 million of that going to the capital.

There also are environmental projects whose goal is to resist climate change. We have tried to obtain funding from donors and succeeded in securing $70 million to support and preserve natural reserves, including the island of Socotra, Buraa Reserve and other natural reserves. Around 80% of these efforts will be funded through loans and grants from donors, and the Ministry of Finance will cover the remaining 20%.

Al-Shorfa: What obstacles does the ministry face in performing its tasks?

Razzaz: There are financial obstacles. Our ministry is only allocated 20 billion Yemeni riyals ($93 million) from the Ministry of Finance per annum, constituting only 1% of the state budget […]. The workforce also is in need of rehabilitation, training and capacity building.