Yemen’s Agriculture in Distress: A Case Study of Wadis Zabid and Rima, the Tihamah
Publisher: Conflict and Environment Observatory
Date: 2020
Topics: Economic Recovery, Governance, Livelihoods, Renewable Resources
Countries: Yemen
In the analysis of the condition of Yemen’s agricultural areas, one area stood out as particularly impacted – wadis Zabid and Rima in the Tihamah ‘breadbasket’. Traditionally this area has grown a great diversity of fruits, vegetables, cereals, fodder crops and cash crops – such as cotton and henna. Rainfall along the coastal plains is scarce and, although farms in the foothills can access spate water, the majority of farms in the down and mid-stream areas are reliant on groundwater – especially for water-intensive fruit crops.
Using open-source datasets, Eoghan Darbyshire takes a deep dive into the situation that has unfolded in this area, and analyses the complex relationship between the conflict and the deteriorating agricultural situation.