Water deficits growing in many countries

In Yemen, a country of 19 million, the water table under most of the country is falling by roughly two meters a year. Under the capital, Sana'a, the water table is falling six meters per year, and the aquifer will be depleted by the end of this decade. Test wells are being drilled two kilometer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Appropriate technology 2002-09, Vol.29 (3), p.36-36
Main Author: Brown, Lester R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquifers
Grain
International trade
Prices
Water resources
Water shortages
Water supply
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In Yemen, a country of 19 million, the water table under most of the country is falling by roughly two meters a year. Under the capital, Sana'a, the water table is falling six meters per year, and the aquifer will be depleted by the end of this decade. Test wells are being drilled two kilometers deep, but they have failed to find water. Yemen must soon decide whether to bring water to Sana'a, possibly from coastal desalting plants, or to relocate the capital. Scores of other countries are also running up regional water deficits, including nearly all of those in Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, plus India, Pakistan, and the US. In an increasingly integrated world economy, the shortfalls can cross national boundaries via the international grain trade.
ISSN:0305-0920
1751-6900