Chapter
7:
Case
studies
in
Sana’a
basin
7.1
Case
1
-‐
Shahik
dam:
villagers
of
Shahik
vs.
villagers
of
Tan’im
7.1.1
Overview
of
the
conflict
This
case
is
located
in
Bani
Seham
greater
tribal
area,
where
the
Government
built
a
dam
in
1985
without
any
social
impact
study.
Competition
over
water
started
in
1998
when
a
flood
filled
up
the
area
behind
the
dam.
Eventually,
fighting
started
and
some
people
were
killed
and
others
injured.
The
conflict
was
resolved
and
the
parties
agreed
to
share
the
water.
However,
the
Government
did
not
play
a
role
in
this
agreement.
7.1.2
A:
Context
and
contextual
changes
Shahik
and
Tan’im
villages
are
two
villages
in
the
Khawlan
area
in
Sanhan
district,
45km
southeast
of
Sana’a.
The
livelihood
of
the
people
of
this
area
depends
on
the
cultivation
of
grapes
and
cereals,
with
small
and
scattered
fields
of
qat
(although
the
local
(cooler)
climate
is
more
suitable
for
grapes
than
qat
plantation).
The
depth
of
wells
in
this
area
reaches
700-‐1,000m
but
there
is
always
a
water
shortage.
At
this
depth,
well
water
becomes
so
hot
that
it
requires
cooling
before
it
can
be
used
for
human
consumption
or
for
irrigation.
The
shallow
wells
-‐
with
a
depth
up
to
50m
-‐
are
dry
most
of
the
year,
collecting
only
water
during
the
rainy
season
and
flooding.
The
rules
and
agreements
they
apply
for
the
distribution
of
the
surface
water
resources
are
mainly
the
‘Urf’.
With
regard
to
groundwater,
the
well
spacing
standard
is
set
to
500-‐750m.
For
new
wells
people
have
to
apply
for
a
permit
with
the
NWRA
office.
Apart
from
that
the
local
farmers
have
no
knowledge
of
the
Water
Law,
neither
the
role
of
ministry
of
water
and
environment
(MWE),
nor
the
national
water
resources
authority
(NWRA).
In
general,
large
problems
exist,
as
everywhere
in
Yemen,
with
obtaining
diesel
fuel
for
the
pumps.
Electrical
pumps
cannot
be
used
because
as
the
electricy
supply
is
unreliable.
People
usually
wait
at
fuel
stations
for
one
or
two
days
to
get
diesel.
Whereas
the
normal
diesel
price
is
10,000
ryals
it
may
increase
upto
40,000
ryals
on
the
black
market,
with
the
risk
that
the
diesel
is
diluted
with
water
(and
consequently
damaging
the
pump’s
engines).
Back
in
1985,
the
Government
built
a