[29/06/2026 06:17]

ADEN - SABA
Minister of Water and Environment Eng. Tawfiq al-Sharjabi discussed today with Mohamed Baraka, the official responsible for the Economic Resilience Enhancement Project in Yemen at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and OECD Policy Analyst Sima Fara, via video conference, ways to strengthen joint cooperation in the areas of water resource management and adaptation to climate change.

The meeting addressed several issues related to water resource management, the challenges facing the sector, difficulties associated with environmental policies and prospects for future cooperation between the two sides.

Minister al-Sharjabi emphasized that Yemen faces major and complex challenges in the water sector due to limited water resources, increasing impacts of climate change, recurring droughts, and growing pressure on groundwater, which represents the country’s main source of water.

He noted that these challenges are worsening due to weak infrastructure, the high operating costs of water facilities, and difficulties related to providing the energy sources required to ensure sustainable services.

He explained that the ministry is working to adopt sustainable solutions to improve water resource management through expanding the use of renewable energy to operate water facilities and enhancing water-use efficiency.

He added that economic recovery plans must take into account water, environmental, and climate change issues, stressing the importance of strengthening partnerships with international organizations to support the sector and build its institutional and technical capacities.

For his part, the OECD representative welcomed cooperation with the Ministry of Water and Environment, affirming the organization’s support for the Yemeni government’s efforts in this vital sector through contributing to a number of future initiatives, programs, and projects related to water resource management and climate change adaptation.

He also indicated the organization’s readiness to cooperate with the ministry in implementing programs aimed at strengthening the ministry’s institutional and technical capacities and improving the efficiency of personnel working in the water and environment sector, thereby contributing to the development of work mechanisms and enhancing responses to challenges related to climate change and water scarcity.

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