Water Minister discusses livelihood project plan and inspects Aden water pipeline.

Aden Hosts Key Meeting on Environmental Conservation and Agriculture

In a significant gathering held on Wednesday in Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital, Water and Environment Minister Engineer Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi chaired a meeting to outline the implementation plan for a project aimed at fostering resilient and sustainable livelihoods in Yemen’s rural areas. The project, which will focus on the Socotra, Houf, and Atma reserves, is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries, the General Authority for Environmental Protection, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with financial backing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The meeting, which included project technical director Dr. Abdulraqeeb Al-Akoushi and Climate Change Unit Director Dr. Abdulwahed Arman, delved into the preparation mechanisms and integrated project activities and initiatives spanning agriculture, fisheries, and pastoral sectors.

Transformative Approaches in Agriculture and Fisheries

The project’s program in the Atma reserve primarily focuses on shifting from qat cultivation to coffee, promoting agricultural diversification and sustainability. In contrast, the initiatives in the Socotra and Houf reserves aim to transition from unregulated open fishing and grazing to organized and sustainable practices. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to expand the green footprint in these reserves, ensuring the protection and expansion of natural habitats through various agricultural and environmental projects.

Minister Al-Sharjabi highlighted the ministry’s commitment to preserving natural reserves and protecting their vegetation from both natural disasters and human activities. He underscored the project’s significance in conserving natural resources, which are crucial for environmental protection and addressing ecological imbalances.

Al-Sharjabi emphasized the urgency of finalizing all project details within the week to kickstart implementation as soon as possible, marking a proactive step towards environmental conservation and sustainable livelihoods in Yemen’s rural landscapes.

Advancements in Sewage Management in Aden

In a related development, Minister Al-Sharjabi inspected a major sewage line project in Aden, funded by the World Bank through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) with a budget of $2.015 million. Accompanied by Aden’s Local Corporation for Water and Sanitation Director Engineer Mohammed Bakhubira, Al-Sharjabi reviewed the project’s progress, managed and supervised directly by the Urban Water and Sanitation Project under the Ministry of Water and Environment.

This project involves constructing a new 2150-meter-long GRP pipe sewage line, with diameters of 800 mm and depths ranging from 3 to 6 meters, including the integration of old and new networks and the establishment of 37 main inspection chambers made of reinforced concrete.

This initiative not only represents a significant leap forward in improving Aden’s sewage infrastructure but also underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing public health and environmental standards in Yemen’s urban centers.

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