Water crisis concern Yemen,900 million cubic meter, volume of deficit in 2005 [Archives:2003/658/Business & Economy]

The Shoura Council in Yemen again had discussed the crisis of water by devoting several meetings to study an issue that has been worrying Yemen.
Titled ''Waters challenges and solutions'' the Shoura council reviewed the nature of the crisis and its dangerous consequences resulting from irregular consumption of water resources and that would lead to exhaustion of the subterranean reservoir.
Discussions had clarified that Yemen is considered among the countries situated below the line of water poverty because it depends on rainfall waters that range in rates between 50-155 mm a year.
The volume of renewable water resources in Yemen amounts to 2.5 billion cubic meters a year, 1.5 cubic meters surface waters and one billion cubic meters underground waters. The total consumption of water amounts to around 3.2 cubic meters a year. The volume of water deficit is estimated at 700 million cubic meters every year and in 2005 it would rise to 900 million cubic meters annually. Discussions of the council also reviewed the water situation in Sana'a capital secretariat, water surface and subterranean sources in it, causes and problems of the water crisis in the capital that is affected by the rise in the rate of population growth and the non-scientific uses of water in agriculture.
The discussions recommended the necessity of continuing the construction of dams, erecting water barriers, developing irrigation canals and building water reservoir to retain waters. The discussions called on relevant parties to pay attention to water resources and providing modern information systems in order to interpret field information.
There are 4 water basins in Yemen needing modern methods of technology, evaluation of water resources and ways of preserving rainfalls waters for feeding subterranean waters.
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