RESEARCH

1.  WEC Research & Consultancy

The research and consultancy services of WEC are mainly concentrated on Water and Environmental problems related to urban and rural water sectors based on the request of local and international organizations. Some of the studies and projects conducted by WEC are: 

1.1  Community Water Management Project
The grant for the Community Water Management Project (CWMP) will promote community groundwater management in at least three areas in Yemen on a pilot basis.  The proposed project is very timely and relevant, as groundwater overuse problems in Yemen are in several areas dramatic and have so far not been systematically addressed. Because of the nature of society in Yemen local community groundwater management has considerable potential to reverse the groundwater crises and may in fact be the most viable approach in the country. The main objectives are:

1-     To develop replicable models of community groups and associations able to manage their groundwater resources that are increasingly becoming scarce

2-     To  discover and explore the scope for local regulations of groundwater – based on local water user’s priorities and perceptions

3-     To develop management and monitoring plans

4-     To  provide the WUGs/WUAs with means and necessary tools to be able to monitor their resources

1.2  Sana’a Basin Water Management Project
Remote Sensing and Satellite Image (ANALYSIS OF CROPPING AND IRRIGATION WATER USE)

Main project features: This project is carried out in the framework of a contract between the "Water and Environment Centre" (University of Sana'a, Yemen) and the International Institute of Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC-Enschede, The Netherlands), as part of the Sana'a University Support Project funded by The Netherlands Government. This study is partly financed by the WB, Rural Development, Water and Environment, Middle East and North Africa Region.
 

Characterization of Sana’a Basin (2000-2001)

Main project features:  The Sana’a Basin is experiencing a serious depletion of groundwater resources with an associated alarming degradation in water quality. The situation is further complicated by the absence of an integrated water resources management plan for the basin including lack of data, a regulatory framework to manage the groundwater extractions and inefficient irrigation practices. To address some of the existing water problem issues, the Government and the World Bank have agreed to prepare a three-phase program over a period of 15 years. This study is one of a number of preparatory studies that are being carried out as Stage One of the first phase of the SBWRM program.
 

Sana’a Basin Well Inventory Project (2001-2002)
Main project features: The Sana’a Basin extends over a total area of about 3250 km2.  It covers twelve districts of the Sana’a Governorate.  Nine of these districts lies totally or mostly within the Basin (the National Capital, Bani al Harith, Sanhan (including Bani Bahloul), Khawlan, Bani Hushaish, Nihm, Arhb, and Bani Matar) while  the remaining three (Raydah, Iyal Suraih, and Kharif) only touch on the Basin from its northwestern border.

In total, 13425 water points were recorded across the Basin during this well inventory program: 5321 boreholes, 7589 dug wells, 346 dug/bore, 146 springs, and 24 dams/pools (surface water bodies).  Out of these, 4048 water points were not operational, being either temporarily in use or used intermittently when needed, abandoned, or dry.
 

Hydro-geological and Water Resources Monitoring and Investigations (2005 – 2007)
Main project features: A great number of projects and studies have been implemented in the basin and have indicated the precarious situation of the water resources in the basin. However, there is still need to assess in depth the capacity and potential of the main water sources of the basin and establish a well documented water balance that would guide development and regulation in the basin and at the same time monitor the quantity and quality of the resource.

This project is intended to evaluate the combined surface and groundwater resources, particularly the principal groundwater aquifer of the Tawila Sandstone Formation and the overlying Quaternary Alluviums, and establish the interrelationship between surface and groundwater in the basin.

1.3  Climate Change: (Adapting to water scarcity for Yemen’s vulnerable communities (2006- 2007)
Main project features: Of the many sectors that are vulnerable to climate change in Yemen, water resources are considered the most vulnerable, with potentially grave environmental and social effects, compounded by the country’s precarious current water resource situation. Water resources are a high priority under national environmental and agricultural policies, and multilateral environmental agreements (i.e., the UNFCCC, UNCCD and UNCBD).

To implement the research, the EPA has made contacts with Water and Environment Center (WEC) to carry out three specific local case studies within Yemen focusing on determining the current and future vulnerabilities of selected urban communities to climate change-induced water scarcity and evaluating the appropriate adaptation strategies to address these vulnerabilities (see attached Annex A-Terms of Reference TOR).

1.4  Building on Indigenous Knowledge for Water Demand Management
 (2006-2008)

It is a two year project emphasis in promoting and enhancing traditional garden’s practices and on the possibility to realize simple improvements which will contribute to their long term sustainability and the duplication of the system in other context throughout the country. The program of work combines participatory research and intervention.

 1.5 Economic Incentives in Groundwater Pumping

In Yemen there are many depleted groundwater basins like Sadah, Sana'a, and Taiz , as a result of high groundwater use rate. It is estimated that ground water abstraction has increased approximately ten-fold since the 1970s to reach 3.4 billion m³/year, while the renewable amount is only about 2.1-2.4 m³/year that means a water shortage of one billion cubic meter in the water balance. It is well-known that irrigated agriculture puts great pressures on the quantity and quality of water resources, and that the management of both in irrigated agriculture has attracted significant attention in agricultural economics. So groundwater resources in Yemen are facing the threatening of groundwater depletion. The main objectives of the project are:

• To identify the factors driving the groundwater overdraft
• To identify realistic incentives to motivate the agricultural sector in reducing groundwater extraction

2. Stuff Researches

2.2 Sana'a Rainfall_2007_October
Prof. Abdulla Babaqi, Dr. Richard Soppe, Dr. Bilkis Zabara and Dr. David Plinston