The purpose of this document is to review the current land characteristics and use status in Yemen as well as agricultural policies and institutional efforts to combat land degradation in the country.
The threat that the degradation of terraces in the highlands of Yemen poses to the livelihood of rural households and to national economic development has been widely recognized. The aim of this study was to contribute to the development of policy recommendations for the improvement of the life of rural families in the Yemeni mountains. Three small mountain watersheds (200-700 ha) in the northern, middle and southern mountain regions of Yemen were selected as the testing grounds for this study.
To help break the cycle of poverty, improve food and nutritional security, halt or reverse the alarming process of resource degradation in the dry areas, and help communities adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change, ICARDA’s Strategic Plan 2017-2026 outlines our research and organizational approach for action to achieve our vision of thriving and resilient communities in the dry areas of the developing world.
Non-tropical dry areas cover over 40% of the world’s land surface with a growing population of more than 2.5 billion people. These people grow 44% of the world’s food and keep half of the world’s livestock, yet one in six live in chronic poverty. Dry areas also face major challenges, including insufficient rainfall, climate variability and change, land degradation, desertification, recurring droughts, temperature extremes, high population growth, widespread poverty, and unemployment.
This publication demonstrates the scope of research and human resources development
over the period between January 2014 and March 2019. It highlights some of the
accomplishments as the result of the collaborative efforts among the seven countries of
the Arabian Peninsula, project donors, and ICARDA-APRP.
MENA’s permanent cropland – currently at less than 6% of the total land area – is shrinking due to serious land degradation and recurrent droughts. The region faces the most severe water shortage in the world with annual renewable water resources per capita estimated to decline from 1,045 m3/yr in 1997 to 740 m3/yr in 2015.
This will ensure more sustainable ecosystems and improved rural livelihoods. Emphasis is given to building on local knowledge by using existing data, social capital, research linkages, partnerships and proven methodologies and technologies in the region thereby ensuring the sustainability of the impacts achieved. The Initiative also draws from a wide pool of multi-disciplinary expertise from within and outside the region and targets the three major agro-ecosystems in the region – rainfed, irrigated and rangeland.
The Menarid Knowledge Management initiative offers three services that will improve the effectiveness and wider use of IFAD projects – and potentially other rural development initiatives active in sustainable land and water management.
This document is a synthesis of outcomes from a knowledge process that was a collaborative effort involving researchers, scientists, and technicians from Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen.
The year 2013 witnessed progress both in research and overall operations of the Initiative. Two bilaterally funded programs for Iraq and Tunisia were launched offering new opportunities and models for engagement of US and regional research capacities. The research agenda was strengthened with increased collaboration and partnership. During 2013 the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) increased its engagement in the WLI taking a prominent role in the WLI Tunisian Program.
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