Sana Might be First Capital to Run out of Water

Sana, the capital of Yemen, might be the first capital in the world to run out of water, the LA Times reported yesterday. According to a recent prediction by the Sana Water Basin Management Project, which is funded by the World Bank, Sana could run dry as early as 2025.

Yemen has faced water shortages for many years, but the government has done little to manage the resource effectively which would mean implementing a plan to oversee bulk water extraction (99% of water drilling in Yemen is unlicensed), building additional wells, laying water mains to service its population and reforming the way water is used in the agricultural sector.

In Sana, shortages have been compounded by population growth. As water has grown increasingly scarce in rural areas, families have migrated to Sana at the rate of 8% per year, pushing an already strained system to breaking point.

60%-70% of Sana residents already rely on privately owned tankers to draw water from around the region and deliver it. For those who can't afford such deliveries, water is purchased from corner stores by the gallon or taken from public spigots outside of mosques.

Last year, the World Bank funded the drilling of 10 new government wells about two-thirds of a mile deep near Sana. But groundwater levels are dropping by 20 to 65 feet a year, and a reports show that 19 of Sana's 21 aquifers are no longer recharging during the rainy season.

Photo: Yemen by Al@ce from Flickr under Creative Commons License