Yemen: Updating the National Water Sector Strategy and Investment Plan (NWSSIP)

Key decision-makers from Yemeni ministries and water sector organisations as well as donors met in Taiz from 24-26 August 2008 to discuss the draft NWSSIP update prepared by sub-sector groups on Urban and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (UWSS and RWSS), Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Irrigation and Institutional Development.

Regarding, IWRM it became clear that the decentralisation of water management needs to be speeded up. National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) branches need to be established and developed and Water User Associations (WUA) empowered. It was decided to address cross-cutting issues such as gender and conflict sensitivity also. Acknowledgement and registration of water rights was seen as an important precondition for an equitable rural-urban water transfer.

The Urban Water Supply and Sanitation (UWSS) discussion focused on how to involve the private sector to increase coverage and reduce operational costs.

Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), the sector with the highest absorptive capacity, is challenged by sector coordination and planning processes. It was decided that a rural water strategy as well as clear coverage figures should be incorporated into the NWSSIP update.

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It was concluded that institutional assessments need to be made in all the water sector organisations in order to identify capacity development needs.

Germany is one of the donors supporting Yemen’s water sector.

The Yemeni-German Technical Cooperation – Water Sector Program is now entering the final year of its first phase (ending in June 2009). Recently GTZ Head Office carried out an Program Progress Review (PPR) and Independent Evaluation (IE) to assess the performance of the program in terms: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact. In addition, harmonisation and alignment were assessed, and challenges and recommendations for the up-coming Phase II of the Yemeni-German Technical Cooperation – Water Sector Program, scheduled to start in July 2009, were highlighted.

“The program is on track and performing well. It is very likely that the objectives will be achieved,” the missions stated. [...] Water sector reform, decentralisation of urban water supply and sanitation – including targeting the poor through special tariffs and connection fees – and decentralisation of the National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) via regional NWRA branches and water basin committees are just some of the concrete outcomes of the program’s work.

Challenges still remain with regard to knowledge transfer to the Ministry of Water and Environment. In addition, gender issues will need more attention in future.

Source: Yemeni-German Water Sector Program, Aug 2008

The GTZ Yemeni-German Water Sector Program and the Swiss Video-lab Jetzt.bewegte bilder have produced an animated awareness video on water scarcity for Yemen’s National Water Resources Authority (NWRA). NWRA came up with Rowyan – an cheery animated raindrop to promote public awareness seen in this clip. He also has a wife called Rowyana with curling eyelashes, handbag and full-length black robe.