Publication Date
5-1-2023
Keywords
water waste, water mismanagement, Yemen, water crisis
Volume
2023
Abstract
The water crisis in Yemen is caused by three main factors: the breakdown of the national government due to a civil war, the increasing prevalence of weaponization of water as a war tactic, and the domination of the agricultural sector by a plant, known as qat (which has no nutritional value or export potential, requiring a disproportionate amount of water year-round). The crisis has led to a number of devastating and life-threatening consequences, including poor WASH practices and the worst cholera outbreak in human history; some of the worst malnutrition rates in the world, particularly in children; and a general public health crisis including the spread of diseases like diphtheria, helminthiasis, and schistosomiasis. One potential solution to the crisis is the widespread adoption of rainwater harvesting techniques to increase individual water supplies and decrease reliance on communal systems and infrastructure.
Recommended Citation
Terry, Haile
(2023)
"Water Waste and Mismanagement in Yemen,"
Ballard Brief: Vol. 2023:
Iss.
2, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ballardbrief/vol2023/iss2/8