Yemen is enduring a water crises that ranks among the worst in the world. Sana'a may run out of water in a decade. It is common that drills have had to bore down deeper than 1,000 meters to find water in the capital. Sanaa’s well are expected to dry out by 2015, partly due to illegal drilling, partly due to the rapid urban development of the capital, partly because 40% of the city’s water is diverted for qat production, Since cultivating qat is much more profitable than any other crop and the plantations are often controlled by influential tribal leaders, it seems impossible to change this cycle. Partly because conservation rules are difficult to enforce.
