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Yemen is an agrarian country, with largely subsistence agriculture. Historically Yemen was self

sufficient in food production. Food crops were grown in all three agro-ecological zones. Sorghum was the most widely cultivated, followed by millet, maize, wheat, barley and pulses. Yemeni agriculture has flourished for 3000 years, with crops and techniques adapted to a hostile environment with scarce water and poor soils. These adaptations included a system of man-made terraces on the hill slopes of the highlands, designed to suit local topography (e.g. degree of slope). A network of water diversion structures harvested rainwater, diverting it to terraces, where rainfed agriculture was practiced. Cultivation on terraces was regulated by strict local customs that involved the entire population of the watershed.

Problems Facing Terraces

In the 1960s and 70s, massive migration of rural populations to the neighboring oil-rich countries and the availability of cheap (subsidized) food imports led to increased dependence of local communities on imported food grains – while remittances from emigrants increased the purchasing capacity of rural inhabitants. On the other hand, migration led to shortage of family labor and increased the demand for hired labor, increasing production costs and making locally produced food uncompetitive with the imported grains available on local markets. Around the same time, development activities and investment opportunities were concentrated on drilling of wells and growing of cash crops to meet the needs of the fast growing urban centers. The abandoning of food crop cultivation drastically affected rainfed terraces; many were not maintained because household members had migrated.

The abandoning of terraces led to rapid deterioration of these fragile systems, leading to their partial or total collapse. The collapse of terraces located upstream led to further deterioration of terraces located downstream and in wadi beds as a result of the destruction caused by seasonal floods coming from uncontrolled runoff from upstream areas.