Water Crisis in Taiz, Present  Conditions and Future Prospects [Archives:2000/15/Reportage]

Farooq Al-Kamali,
Taiz

Yemenis are struggling to survive in the midst of deplorable and miserable conditions. The state of ignorance prevailing in all the institutions of the society has resulted in a wide-spread corruption. Now it seems urgent that our arm-chair officials wake up and pay their attention to the water issue which has become a world-wide concern. In fact, the issue of water is as important as the issue of national security is.
When signs of water crisis began to appear in our country, they were associated with one of the most beautiful and important cities, Taiz. Long queues of children, men and women of different ages standing at the mosques’ doors had become a regular view and a matter of daily routine, not to raise eyebrows about.
Many people desperately dug up wells in search for water. However, the arbitrary and unplanned digging has led ultimately to the seeping of the water level. People are panicky with reports showing that the water level in wells in Al-Haimah is going further down and it is expected that a time may soon come in which these wells will no more be able to supply the town with water.
Now many people are drinking salty water and are in a dire need of tangible solutions, not shallow promises. Yemen Times conducted the following survey to assess all aspects of Taiz water crisis, present conditions and future prospects.
Reasons Behind the Crisis:
Regarding the reasons behind water crisis in Taiz, Mr. Jamal Mohammed Abduh, chairman of NWRA said “The location of Taiz on the direct rainy areas makes things difficult to make use of rains. Besides, shallow water is discharged to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. There is not a basin that keeps this water. Therefore, the water supplied to Taiz is actually from different scattered water places, including Al-Haimah whose wells have started to dry up as a result of the tense pressure. There is no other means for recharge these wells. The rapid increase of population, increased economic and social activities are also other factors that help worsen the situation.
Background on Water Crisis in Taiz:
Thabet Al-Hoot, chairman of Taiz Water Exploratory Project, said “Taiz is considered to be the third important city in the Republic. In 1994, the number of the population in this city reached 373157. The city has never been supplied with adequate water since 1960s. However, in the mid 1960s the population did not exceed 20,000. Natural springs from Saber Mountain used to be the main and only resources for supplying the city with water in the beginning of 1960s and the period before that. Water used to be carried to big basins at the peak of the city and then people used to carry it either themselves or on animals’ backs.
Then, at the beginning of 1960s, the Canadian Memorable Project financed by the American Development Agency was established. Water was supplied to this project from some wells in Al-Hawban, Kalabah, Shobat Koraimah, and from the North East of Taiz. Water used to be pumped through a 300 mm iron pipe. However, this source was not sufficient enough to meet the needs of the residents.
Then the year 1970 was marked by so many campaigns to dig up new wells in search for water sources in the North of Taiz in Al-Hawjalah. This source was connected to the pumping station in Al-Hawban and then to the city. The quantities of water reaching the town had mounted to 4100 m3 daily. However, this water was somehow salted and the nitrite level was relatively high mounting to 150 mg\L.
Still this project was not able to meet the increasing demands of the residents whose number was increasing in course of time. Therefore, another project about 25 km away from the North East of Taiz at Al-Haimah was established and about 21 wells were dug up. Initially, the available quantities of water were 19,000 m3 daily. The project was fully implemented in 1982. Unfortunately, this new project was not able to cover the needs of the people, especially as the level of water was decreasing. In addition to that some wells dried up. The crisis reappeared late in 1986 and by the end of 1987, water production rate decreased to 7,000 m3/ per day.
In an attempt to salvage the situation from 1989 to 1992, the project dug up some new deep wells at Al-Haimah and re-started operation of Al-Hawjalah to relieve the pressure on Al-Haimah wells. However, the crisis continued to persist.
Engineer, Abdullah Saleh Sayf, chairman of NWRA in Taiz, talked about the crisis and said “The crisis started in Taiz as a result of the limited fresh water resources, on one hand, and due to the rapid increase of population on the other. One can say that it started at the beginning of 1990s and reached the climax in the mid 1990s.
The causes of this crisis, are as follows:
1) Limited fresh water resources.
2) Rapid increase of population.
3) Using up of ground water by erratic digging up of wells to irrigate crops, especially Qat which uses up about 70% of ground water.
4) Applying old techniques and ways in irrigation.
5) The non-existence of Sewage Water Treatment Plants
6) Public unawareness to make an optimal balance use of water.
7) Old and damaged water net in the town.
8) Waste of rain water due to want of dams, basins, etc.
Engineer, Tarek Abdoh Mohammed, chairman of Water Department in the Southern Heights, said “Water crisis in Taiz should be an example for other governorates. In my point of view, the crisis has come out as a result of the following:
1) Ignorance about conservation of water sources.
2) Absence of laws to regulate the use of water.
3) Arbitrary digging up of wells.
4) Lack of implementing the recommendations in the right way.”
After the seepage of Al-Haimah wells, attention was directed towards Al-Habir district in Wadi Al-Sofal in Ibb. About this Mr. Thabet Al-Hoot said “The government called upon different international organizations to finance this project. The IDA was willing to finance this project on condition that water sources were available. The NWASA, NWRA as well as the Southern Heights Project for Rural Development were all monitoring this project. Therefore, Al-Habir source was chosen as it is close to Al-Haimah wells. Besides, the electrical power house is located near Al-Haimah wells which would help to pump water. Thus, the IDA started implementing the project by digging up six wells to provide the town with water and to compensate the villagers in Al-Habir by setting up schools, wells, and other infrastructure facilities.
Regarding what has been accomplished, Mr. Abdullah Saleh said “Al-Habir water project involves digging up six wells; three of which are in the East of Al-Habir and have not been commissioned so far. The other three are in the West of Al-Habir and have been commissioned since 1996, the time water crisis reached its climax in Taiz.
The overall cost of the project is about YR157 million. The contract was signed in 29\2\2000 and the project is expected to be completed in December 2000.”
Regarding the role of Taiz Water Exploratory Project, Thabet Al-Hoot said “The project tries to alleviate the water crisis and to supply necessary fresh water for the residents. The project also conducts exploratory studies to find new water sources. We do also encourage the private sector to invest in this issue.”The second contract signed was that of Al-Hawban and Al-Hawgalah whose cost mounted to YR188 million. The third contract was that of supplying NWASA with some equipment, transportation means, tools to increase its efficiency. The cost of these tools was $ 420,000. Digging up the three wells for villagers in Al-Habir involved a total cost of $ 390,000. Moreover, the cost of implementing the second phase of Taiz water and sewage system, that of Al-Kaidah, has mounted to $ 880,000.
The difficulties facing the Taiz Water Exploratory Project are a lot. Most often, the working organizations come to face strong resistance by some residents of the areas where these exploratory wells are to be dug. In Al-Kaidah, for example, the drillers were not allowed to start drilling. Some influential people compelled experts to drill in other places, which has obviously proved to be an exercise in futility.
Nasser Al-Molaiki, chairman of NAWSA, see that water resources are not sufficient enough and do not need the ever-increasing demand of water. He said “The available quantities of water from all the wells (Al-Haimah, Al-Hawjalah, Al-Hawban, Habir) reach about 18,000 m3\daily. The wasted quantities are about 33%, that is, 6000 m3\daily which is mainly the result of the inefficiency and damages of the water net. In 1999 the population of Taiz was 446,874 which meant that the individual share was 27 L\daily, however, the individual share should be 80L\daily as a minimum.”Best Alternatives to Overcome Water Crisis in Taiz:
There are some alternatives whose timely and proper execution may relieve the water crisis in Taiz. One such alternative is that presented before the Cabinet by NWRA in its national strategy. In this strategy, it is mentioned “In order to increase water sources and have a proper management, the government should make the best use of water in the rainy season through establishing basins, dams to keep water, especially in rural areas.”
In fact, it seems that this is the only way out and real remedy for water crisis in Taiz. Huge quantities of rain water are wasted and are not made use of. This water urgently needs to be conserved and better used to supply the city. At the same time, this water will also sustain the ground water. Though, comprehensive studies have been made, many foreign organizations are not interested in financing this project under the pretext that this project will deprive residents of Warazan of water. However, this does not seem to be the real reason as many experts say that this project won’t affect the residents at all and that quantity of water so conserved will be very little in comparison with the huge quantities of water discharged during floods in the rainy season.
Building dams is actually an important alternative the authority and the people concerned have to consider. Engineer Abdullah Al-Haidri, Dams department in the Southern Heights Project, said “NWRA was established in 1995. There is a serious move by the government to make use of water in the rainy seasons by constructing dams and repairing the old channels that help to make use of the springs. Our department has constructed about 13 dams in Taiz, Ibb and Lahj. The benefits of these projects are as follows:
1) Irrigating many agricultural lands.
2) Applying a more thrift and proper irrigation system.
3) Sustaining ground water.
4) Improving the environmental conditions in districts and boosting the tourism industry.
5) Creating more job opportunities through planting and marketing of crops.
6) Protecting lands from erosion as a result of floods.
Experts do assert that there are no other sustainable alternatives they can see right now, and that the best way for the time being is to make a judicious use of water.
The idea of desalination of sea water is also another alternative but the question is whether a developing country such as Yemen can apply such advanced technology. Mr. Abdullah Saleh talked about this and said “The desalination of water is an alternative. However, we should not only restrict ourselves to planning. If we want to make this come true, we have to keep ourselves abreast with all the international researches in this field, make studies and carefully plan it out. We can desalinate not only sea water but also salt water. Some preliminary studies have been conducted and it is found that the international investments in this field may mount to $ 200 million.
Future Water Prospects in Taiz:
Taiz is actually in an urgent need of help. The authorities and people concerned have to exert efforts not only to find solutions to the current crisis but to plan a strategic agenda that meets the increasing demand on water.
Experts are of the view that the situation will worsen. Therefore, we do call upon officials to reconsider this issue and see what measures to be taken to save their residents from the brink of an imminent disaster. Taiz, otherwise called “Al-Halemah” or the dream and its hospitable people are appealing to the national as well as international organizations to do something and give them water. I believe that all should join hands to do something and retrieve the situation before it is too late.
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