Yemen is a focus country of Water Support Programme. Development cooperation between the Netherlands and Yemen has existed for more than 40 years. Since the civil war broke out, the Netherlands has put its efforts on stabilising the country and preventing further state disintegration. The Netherlands shares its expertise on water resource management to tackle water (and conflict)-related issues like irrigation, clean drinking water and importance of gender inclusion. This is done by implementing and WASH and IWRM projects. Both have been designed to bridge the humanitarian and development assistance.
In cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands implemented a water resource management project in Sana’a basin by introducing new technologies and technical skills for the farmers to manage the water level in the Sana’a basin. The project will help improve water productivity in agriculture to safeguard sufficient water resources for drinking are key.
NWP organises the Water Support Programme’s Yemen Country Platform to inform the Netherlands water sector on developments in Yemen. For more information, please get in touch.
The Gulf is among the most water-stressed areas in the world. At the same time, it is also one of the highest water-consuming areas. The agricultural sector is by far the largest consumer of water in the Gulf countries, accounting for around 85 percent of fresh water, nearly all of which comes from non-renewable underground sources.
In light of the UAE’s ambition to ensure its food security and its need for potable water, many opportunities for cooperation in the water, energy and food sectors are arising. The Dutch water sector is becoming increasingly present in the region, especially in the domains of water technology.
It is expected that the coming years will offer more opportunities for the Dutch water sector to expand its activities in the region, mostly through the EXPO2020 Dubai and the strategy of the Government of the Netherlands to focus on water-energy-food in the Gulf.
Together with the Regional Business Development Team of the Dutch Embassies in the Gulf countries, NWP is actively involved in various initiatives that lead to collaborative projects between the Dutch water sector and counterparts in the Gulf countries. NWP’s activities include providing market information about the Gulf countries to the Dutch water sector, organising (virtual) trade missions and tailor made events; and the facilitation of partnership building.
Interested to know more about the Gulf countries? Contact our Project Manager MENA, Sabrina Kraaijenbrink-Doetjes.