Yemen
1. Geography and Climate
Yemen is located in Western Asia. It lies south of Saudi Arabia and west
of Oman, between latitudes 12° and 19° N and longitudes 42° and55° E. The
climate in Yemen is various and depends on the different altitudes of the
regions. There are no distinctive limits between the seasons. During summer
the climate is hot with high humidity dominating in the coastal area. In winter
the climate in the coastal area is relatively moderate.
2. Social economy
Yemen is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the Arab
World, with a formal 35% employment rate, dwindling natural resources, a
young population and increasing population growth. Its economy depends
heavily on the oil it produces, but its oil reserves are expected to be depleted
by 2017, possibly bringing on economic collapse.
3. Country Context
Background：
Yemen's main environmental problems have long been scarcity of water,
soil erosion, and desertification. Water pollution is a problem due to
contaminants
from
the
oil
industry,
untreated
sewage,
and
salinization. Desertification is considered as a serious problem that threats the
land resources in the Republic of Yemen (ROY) as an outcome of the climatic
factors and poor land/water management practices. In addition, the
aforementioned factors also lead to the deterioration on the renewable natural
resources. Desertification appears in different forms. Recent estimation
indicated that 97% of Yemen Republic is suffering from different status of
Desertification. Natural forests in mountainous areas have been destroyed by
agricultural clearing and livestock overgrazing. The gradual collapse of the
upland terrace systems is leading to flash floods and the destruction of
economically and ecologically viable lower terraces and wadi agriculture
downstream. Climate change impacts in terms of drought and extreme
weather events are serious and critical in Yemen where agricultural land is
limited, holding size per family remains small, rainfall and surface water flows
are erratic and groundwater is being overexploited and used inefficiently.
Combating Desertification
UNCCD
Date
Ratification
January 14, 1997
Effective
April 14 ,1997
Yemen developed its National Action Program (NAP) to Combat
Desertification in 2000 in an effort to assess the situation and identify remedial
measures. It succeeded in preparing the comprehensive Strategies Vision
2025. The development plans (The First Five Year Plan (FFYP), The Second
Five Year Plan (SFYP) and The Third Five Years Plan (TFYP) for
Socio-economic Development and to Alleviate Poverty) form as blue print for
plan and development policies whether in macro, sector or regional aspects. In
addition, it considered the National Plan of Action to Combat Desertification
(NPACD), macro policies, sectors policies and ratified strategies as efforts that
have to be exploited and treated as one intact band to alleviate poverty and
achieve socio-economic development plan objectives. Thus, Yemen has put in
its strategies and priorities, the formation of integrated development projects
within the sustainable development plan framework for these projects that
have special interest with the problem of desertification. The policies and the
National Environment Plan have denoted the priorities for environment
problems that represented by solving the problems of soil erosion, natural
resources degradation, over discharging of the ground water and pollution.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MAI) is keen on its organization
restructuring in light of the new development and the Local Authority Law. In
this respect, there are suggestions such as the establishment of National
Centre to Combat Desertification (NCCD) or forming a Natural Resources and
Desertification Control Sector (NRDCS) within the MAI.
4. Contact
Dr. Alladeen Mohamad Abdalla Al-Sharjabi
Director General
Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation
Al-Zira Street
Sana'a
Yemen
Tel: (9671) 250 976
Fax: (9671) 250 977
E-mail: amaash@yahoo.com
(Compiled by Hu Yi Asia RCA/UNCCD Secretariat).