Groundwater Security in Yemen: Who is Accountable to Whom? - Comment
The overuse of groundwater in Yemen is now recognized as a national security issue. Groundwater exploitation has increased rapidly over the last four decades. While this has boosted high value farming and created rural jobs, there are grave concerns whether agriculture is not bound for a potentially...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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School of Oriental and African Studies
2011-09-01
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| Series: | Law, Environment and Development Journal |
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| Online Access: | http://lead-journal.org/content/11164.pdf |
| Summary: | The overuse of groundwater in Yemen is now recognized as a national security issue. Groundwater exploitation has increased rapidly over the last four decades. While this has boosted high value farming and created rural jobs, there are grave concerns whether agriculture is not bound for a potentially destabilizing setback. This paper discusses the emergence of local management rules – by water users themselves - and their interplay with formal state institutions. It argues that the existence of formal institutions - including the National Water Law – was more important than their actual almost non-existent implementation. Groundwater where managed is managed locally in Yemen – but in spite of this autonomy, the presence of the Water Law creates the context in which these otherwise contentious local rules develop. The implication is that further strengthening and promoting local regulation is the best option for groundwater management rather than refining and investing in national regulatory institutions. |
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| ISSN: | 1746-5893 1746-5893 |