It is estimated that the amount of water in Yemen required during the next decade to meet the growing demand will be about 4.5 billion cubic metres (BCM). The water deficit in 2000 was 700 million cubic metres (MCM), rose to 900 MCM in 2010 and is expected to reach 2,500 MCM in 2025.

The combination of high population growth and exhaustion of water resources has contributed to a water crisis that may be one of the most catastrophic the world has ever seen

There are no networks monitoring surface water quality in Yemen, as far as is known. Various projects have measured surface water salinity but only at a few sites. In most cases, measurements of electric conductivity (EC) were obtained during current metering.

In 1990, total water use in Yemen was 2,799 MCM/yr. In 2010, it was 3,970 MCM/yr. Since availability is declining and the population is increasing, Yemen may soon run dry

Marib dam is the first water harvesting system in history was built in the Arab region. Recent archaeological excavations discovered ruins of irrigation structures around Marib city dating from some 4,000 years ago.

The Ministry of Water and Environment was established in May 2003 to reorganize the water sector, with the aim of creating an institutional structure for integrated water resources management and to prepare the necessary institutional and investment conditions to face the worsening water situation

Many of these challenges will need to be addressed if the government is to respond effectively to climate change. Yemen submitted its National Adaptation Programme of Action to ….

Developing and implementing integrated water management programmes; conserving water by reusing treated wastewater and grey water from mosques as well as introducing irrigation-saving techniques;