- Title: Yemen villagers turn to age-old rain harvesting to tackle water crisis
- Date: 23rd November 2023
- Summary: BAJIL, YEMEN (FILE - OCTOBER 4, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF 10-YEAR-OLD ALI AL-QUDAIMI RIDING A DONKEY CARRYING WATER JERRYCANS QUDAIMI'S MOTHER, AISHA AL-HARAZI, WASHING UTENSILS HARAZI CARRYING WATER JERRYCAN VARIOUS OF QUDAIMI RIDING DONKEY CARRYING WATER JERRYCANS QUDAIMI AND HIS BROTHER UNLOADING WATER JERRYCANS FROM BACK OF DONKEY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOTHER OF ALI AL-QUDAIMI, AISHA AL-HARAZI, SAYING: “He (referring to her son Ali al-Qudaimi) wakes up in the morning, washes his face, takes the sheep to graze, then returns the sheep and goes to school. After returning from school, he goes to fetch water for us, he then has lunch, takes the sheep to the mountain to graze, and returns with the sheep at sunset, and so on. This is his daily routine. The water he fetches today runs out the next day, so he goes to fetch water after returning from school the next day.” BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 21, 2023) (REUTERS) MOUNTAINS / WATER IN DAM BOYS PLAYING NEAR DAM WATER MOVING IN DAM BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 24, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MOUNTAIN TERRACES BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 21, 2023) (REUTERS) MOUNTAIN VILLAGE BOYS CARRYING WATER JERRYCANS SHEEP DRINKING FROM DAM BANI MATAR RESIDENT, MUHAMMAD HUSSEIN, STANDING BY DAM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF BANI MATAR, MUHAMMAD HUSSEIN, SAYING: “The beneficiaries of it (the dam) are about 10,000 people, young and elderly. All the farms up to the end of the valley also benefit from it, that is the distance of a gun shot, they all benefit from this dam. Everyone benefits from it, even the cattle and sheep, the about 10,000 sheep that are here.” DAM BARRIER BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 17, 2023) (REUTERS) WATER IN DAM DRAINAGE BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 21, 2023) (REUTERS) MOUNTAIN TERRACES OUTSKIRTS OF SANAA, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 21, 2023) (REUTERS) WATER DRAINAGE CHANNEL SPRING WATER DROPPING INTO POND BOYS JUMPING INTO POND PEOPLE RIDING DONKEYS BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 21, 2023) (REUTERS) BANI MATAR COMMUNITY LEADER, RADHWAN AL-JAADABI, TALKING WITH ANOTHER MAN OUTSKIRTS OF SANAA, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 21, 2023) (REUTERS) PEOPLE SWIMMING IN POND BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 21, 2023) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BANI MATAR COMMUNITY LEADER, RADHWAN AL-JAADABI, SAYING: “Because the rains in Yemen are seasonal, the ancient Yemeni people - since the ancestors and even from the era of the Himyarites until today - benefit from rain water through the construction of dams, water barriers and ponds for later use during the days of drought; for drinking, watering animals and in agriculture.” AL-JALEDI, YEMEN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 6, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WORKERS BUILDING CISTERN PROJECT MANAGER, YAHYA TAHIR, STANDING BY WORKER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROJECT MANAGER, YAHYA TAHIR, SAYING: "This village, for which we are building the project, does not have suitable groundwater for drinking. Therefore, we had to conduct a study of the area to build a project for them to harvest rainwater. It is difficult to access groundwater in this mountainous area, but rainwater harvesting is possible due to seasonal rains so we found that the project is suitable for them.” WORKERS AT SITE OF CISTERN PROJECT WORKERS CUTTING ROCKS AT SITE OF CISTERN PROJECT VARIOUS OF WORKERS BUILDING CISTERN MAN WALKING BY WATER POND AL-JALEDI COMMUNITY LEADER, WADAH AWAD, TALKING TO WORKER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AL-JALEDI COMMUNITY LEADER, WADAH AWAD, SAYING: "The people's situation is difficult, and they rely on ponds for drinking water. This reservoir will alleviate much of our suffering because it is a covered cistern that preserves the purity of the water and keeps it potable. This is the greatest gift for us. We have to bring water from neighbouring villages when our water ponds dry up.” BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 24, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DAM VIEW OF VILLAGE BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 17, 2023) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING IN VILLAGE VILLAGER, ADEL QASSIM, STANDING WITH PEOPLE AT FAUCET / GIRLS, CARRYING WATER CONTAINERS, WALKING AWAY VARIOUS OF GIRLS, CARRYING WATER CONTAINERS, WALKING WOMAN POURING WATER INTO TANK QASSIM CARRYING WATER JERRYCAN INTO HIS HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VILLAGER, ADEL QASSIM, SAYING: “We used to fetch water from a distance of 500-600 meters before, but now, thank God, it is closer to us. We have benefited from this as it has eased the burden on children and women and even us (men) since we were tired due to fetching water. Water is life.” BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 24, 2023) (REUTERS) PEOPLE AT WATER SUPPLY POINT GIRLS FILLING BUCKETS WITH WATER GIRLS, CARRYING BUCKETS, WALKING DONKEY DRINKING WATER VILLAGER QASSIM WATERING ANIMALS PEOPLE AND SHEEP AT WATER SUPPLY POINT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BANI MATAR COMMUNITY LEADER, RADHWAN AL-JAADABI, SAYING: "Previously, before this (water) supply network was built, people used to go to the mountain, to the dam far from their place of residence, to fetch water. Today it is made easier with this supply network that brought water to the village for people to use for drinking and watering animals and trees.” BANI MATAR, YEMEN (FILE - AUGUST 21, 2023) (REUTERS) PEOPLE STANDING ON DAM BARRIER BOYS SWIMMING IN DAM
- Embargoed: 7th December 2023 10:07
- Keywords: Climate Climate change Yemen animals villages water
- Location: BAJIL, BANI MATAR, OUTSKIRTS OF SANAA AND AL-JALEDI, YEMEN
- City: BAJIL, BANI MATAR, OUTSKIRTS OF SANAA AND AL-JALEDI, YEMEN
- Country: Yemen
- Topics: Climate Adaptation and Solution,Climate Change,Environment,General News,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001031222112023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: In the Yemeni district of Bajil where climate change-induced drought and a lack of sustainable water supplies prevail, Ali al-Qudaimi’s day begins like any other 10-year-old’s.
However, his dreams are overshadowed by the looming spectre of water scarcity that casts a shadow over his family. Helped by his donkey, Qudaimi treks daily several kilometres to reach a charitable water well, the only source of water available to his village, around 170 km (105.63 miles) west of Sanaa.
In other areas of the country, people have turned to age-old practice of harvesting rainwater in dams, ponds and reservoirs, employing traditional techniques passed down through generations to capture and store rainwater.
For centuries, Yemenis have relied on these water management techniques to navigate the region's arid climate through effectively capturing runoff water.
In Bani Matar district, around 40 kilometres (24.85 miles) west of Sanaa, a dam is helping many villages keep rain waters for the dry days, not only providing some water security, but also enhancing agricultural productivity and enabling communities to grow crops and sustain livestock during prolonged dry spells.
Collaborative efforts between local communities and non-governmental organizations in implementing projects have been helping residents of Yemen’s rural areas in their daily struggle to access clean water.
In al-Jaledi village, of the northwestern province of Amran, a cistern is under construction as part of a rain harvest initiative by the Social Fund for Development.
Yemen, one of the world's most water-stressed countries, is gripped by a relentless water crisis. According to the United Nations, about 14.5 million people are without access to safe drinking water and reliable sanitation facilities in Yemen, where climate change and rapid population growth have put massive pressure on the limited resources.
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