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    • #DemocracyMatters

    Grass-roots democracy as the way forward on water resource management in Yemen

    Water management in Yemen has failed, and up to 2 million people could abandon the capital if water resources dry up soon. In this #DemocracyMatters opinion, USAID's Michael Maxey suggests returning to traditional water management that benefit local communities and protect the common good.

    By Michael Maxey // 17 December 2014

    As one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, Yemen faces social and economic disruption of legendary proportions.

    National per capita access to water, estimated at 125 cubic meters per year, is already one of the lowest in the world yet is projected to drop to 62.5 cubic meters by 2025. A 900 million cubic meter shortfall in annual renewable water resources results in the extraction of groundwater at a rate that far exceeds natural recharge. Recent studies predict the depletion of multiple aquifers including the Sana’a basin by 2040. The loss of ground water for the country’s capital, and its 2 million residents could provoke a population exodus not seen in Yemen since the collapse of the Marib Dam in 575 A.D. This situation arises out of a classic “tragedy of the commons” problem: Yemeni citizens have drilled wells and pumped groundwater without regard to sustainability or future impact. While common ownership and management of water resources is a challenge in any country, in Yemen, it is a matter of survival.

    Garrett Hardin's “Tragedy of the Commons” article in a 1968 edition of Science magazine provides an understanding of what a social good (like access to water) means and how that common asset can be managed for the benefit of the general public. Hardin explained that individual and absolute freedom to use a common asset results in a negative outcome. Preventing a negative outcome requires action to exclude or limit access to the common good. This excludability — which is the key to sustainability — can be achieved either through private or public ownership along with the potential to create cultural and reciprocity mechanisms that would encourage good stewardship.

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    • Water & Sanitation
    • Agriculture & Rural Development
    • Global Health
    • Yemen
    • North Africa and Middle East
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
    The views in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect Devex's editorial views.

    About the author

    • Michael Maxey

      Michael Maxey

      Michael Maxey is a senior agriculture adviser with over 30 years of experience on USAID development programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East. He has served as senior manager of a wide range of large agriculture development programs. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

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