Essay Sample on Yemen's Water Shortage: Mismanagement & Inequality

Introduction

Water conflict refers to the tension that exists between states as they disagree over water resources, and the issue to be analyzed in this report will be the water shortages in addition to the public discontent in Yemen. Water availability in this country has been on a decline, and this is attributed to the severe mismanagement problem. The imbalance amongst the people of this state is due to the cases of nepotism and corruption. The disadvantaged in society are frustrated, and the water scarcity problem has led to a political and security crisis in the country. The demand for water has been on the rise, and the situation is made worse by the low precipitation levels in the country.

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Environmental Impacts

People in this region are abandoning the traditional ways of farming, and the strategies that they are adopting require a lot of water, and this is triggering a rise in demand for this scarce commodity. The subsidies given to the farmers is increasing investment in such crops that require a lot of water. The water tables are falling significantly, and this is having adverse effects on the environment. The conflict that exists between the city and rural residents is on the rise due to the urbanization process. The rise in water scarcity has driven a significant number of people from rural areas to the urban centers where the water situation is worse. The agricultural productivity is on the decline in the villages due to the inadequate rainfall to support agricultural activities. The high dependency in agriculture and water has adverse effects on the environment, for the inadequacy of water is causing plants to dry (Herzberg, 2019). The locals have been forced to change the cultivation types they are using, placing a lot of pressure on the environment to the extent that it cannot support farming anymore, a move that has reduced the amount of produce in the country. Yemen is considered one of the food insecure states in the world, and this is not good for the people of this country.

Role of Government

The Yemen government is one of the factors that have triggered a reduction in the amount of water available to the locals. The state gave subsidies to the farmers making it less expensive to grow the cash crops. Therefore, a lot of water is directed towards the growth of these crops meaning that it is hardly enough for other basic necessities, such as drinking. The government reduced the prices for the diesel required for farming leading to the growth of narcotic drugs. In 1983, it banned the importation of fruits providing the farmers with an opportunity to grow fruits in their country. A lot of water is needed for their growth and maturity, and this has played a role in the reduction of water amounts. From the 1950s to the 1990s, the Yemen government supported the diversion structures that were constructed upstream, and this widened the inequality gap. The wealth groups' upstream managed to retain a significant amount of water, leaving the communities downstream with no enough water for their various daily activities. Therefore, the beneficiaries of the subsidies introduced by the government were wealthy families. The poor experienced deteriorating financial situations, and the move created a gap in society. The authorities failed to intervene when the sheikhs took advantage of their influential positions in the society and customary legal rights to monopolize the usage of water (Whitehead, 2015). The political elites, in some cases, would usurp land and water and later undertook measures to defeat justice. The government has failed to undertake its duty of protecting the citizens by ensuring that all parties have equal access to the resources available. Additionally, the authorities have failed to ensure that the poor are not oppressed by the political elites or the wealthy.

People Involved in the Conflict

The water conflict issue in Yemen is contributed by different entities, among them the government, the wealthy families, and ordinary farmers. There has been a development of a vicious cycle in which people are distrusting the government, considering that the power struggles have played a role in the food insecurity. The economy has slowed down, and the movement has not initiated any measures that can help in curbing the problem. It can be argued that the inadequacy of water and food are some of the main elements that have led to the collapsing of the Yemen state. The civil war has left a devastating effect on the fighting communities turning the state into a dessert. The wealthy are involved in this conflict, for it can be noted that the political exclusions on civil society matters, power imbalances, and corruption are some of the major causes of the water conflict (Cruickshank, 2018). Illegal well drillings have triggered demonstrations. The rural communities are raising their voices against the urban elites, for they are exploiting the few resources in the villages for their interest.

Positive from the Conflicts

The positive conflicts from this undesirable occurrences are few. The inadequacy of water resources is driving rural residents to urban centers. The move is providing the environment with a chance to recover through reduced economic activities in the rural regions. Additionally, the farmers are adopting the latest technological systems, which are offering them produce by using reduced water for plant growth. The country has managed to raise the balance of trade since it has reduced the importation of fruits. Additionally, the locals have managed to improve their financial situation by selling their produce in the local market. The fact that the market has been closed to international traders has enabled the local economy to improve.

Conclusion

In conclusion, water conflict in Yemen has a devastating effect on the communities and the economy of the country. The government has played a role in the conflict, for it provided subsidies that encouraged farmers to divert to farming, placing a lot of pressure on the limited water resources available. For example, the nations banned the importation of fruits and allowed the locals to cultivate them with fertilizer subsidies making the farming lucrative. The corrupt government officers facilitated the diversion of the rivers and allowed illegal drillings to happen. The conflict has created mistrust between the government and the citizens, and the rural communities are against the urban dwellers, for they feel that they are taking their resources in the wrong way. The civil war in the country is triggered by the inadequacy of water and food. The rural residents have experienced a decline in the productivity levels over the years, and this has triggered their migration to the urban areas causing over-congestion. However, a few positives have been noted from this conflict, which include the ability of the locals to grow their fruits and sell them to locals meaning that they have managed to improve their financial capability. The movement to the urban areas has enabled the soils in rural areas to recover as the cultivation frequency reduces.

References

Cruickshank, M. (2018). Yemen is on the verge of running out of water. Think Progress. Retrieved from https://thinkprogress.org/yemen-humanitarian-crisis-water-54a9c0b52831/

Herzberg, A. (2019). Urban Water Scarcity in Sana'a, Yemen. Focus, 15(1), 21. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/focus/vol15/iss1/21/

Whitehead, F. (2015, 2 April). Water scarcity in Yemen: the country's forgotten conflict. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/apr/02/water-scarcity-yemen-conflict