Test Drive | Page 183

Chapter  10:  Findings     In   this   chapter,   the   findings   from   the   stakeholder   consultation   meeting   will   be   presented   together   with   the   findings   from   the   desktop   and   field   research.   The   full   report   of   the   stakeholder   meeting   is   included   in   the   annexes.   10.2    A:  Context  and  contextual  changes   The   conflicts   are   a   manifestation   of   a   series   of   structural   factors,   which   include   the   increasing   competition   regarding  scarce  water,  due  to  population  growth  and  qat  plantations,  coupled  with  poor  governing  capacity.   Against   this   backdrop,   acts   by   individuals   or   groups   can   easily   trigger   new   conflicts   or   intensify   existing   conflicts.     10.2.1    Social  and  physical  conditions   Yemen   is   facing   challenges   of   increasing   population   growth,   prevalent   poverty   and   the   lack   of   availability   of   water.  This  leaves  Yemen  vulnerable  to  the  impacts  of  climate  change  and  prone  to  conflicts  between  water   users.  Water-­‐related  challenges  (both  in  terms  of  quantity  and  quality)  linger  and  threaten  to  undermine  any   socio-­‐economic   development   made.   The   agricultural   sector   consumes   a   high   proportion   of   the   limited   rain-­‐,   ground-­‐,   and   (spate)   floodwater   available   and   is   highly   inefficient.  The  Yemeni  Government  faces  major  obstacles  in   “There  is  simply  no  water.  The   providing   safe   and   secure   water   to   larger   segments   of   conflicts   over   water   are   a   society.   The   security   situation   and   also   impacts   on   the   hard   and   soft   infrastructure,   through   which,   together   with   the   lack   phenomenon,  they  are  not  the   of   water,   farmers   find   it   difficult   to   sell   their   agricultural   root  problem.”     products   to   the   markets   for   a   reasonable   price.   The   diesel   Participant  consultation  meeting,  Amman,  2014     price,  for  example,  affects  the  viability  of  irrigated  agriculture.     Many   Yemeni   worked   abroad   to   strengthen   the   livelihood   of   their   families   through   remittances,   specially   in   Saudi  Arabia.  Many  were  employed  as  workers  in  the  oil  industry,  but  as  a  result  of  various  political  problems   between   the   countries,   the   workers   were   expelled   from   Saudi   Arabia.   Unemployment   6