Tihama Development Authority /
Spate Irrigation Network

Tihama, Yemen

The arid Tihama plain is Yemen’s most important agricultural area, consisting of sand plains and dunes interrupted by wadi flood plains. The Tihama covers an area of about 22 000 km2 with slopping land about 30-60 km in width and extending along the Red Sea to the west and up to the foot of the mountains in the east. Eight wadis intersect the plain and collect run-off from the highlands to the east. The run-off makes its way through incised valleys to emerge on the coastal plain, where the water is used for spate irrigation and recharges the alluvial aquifer (the largest in the country) for urban and domestic water supply and irrigated agriculture. Rarely, small amounts of runoff reach the Red Sea.

The Tihama Development Authority, based in Hodeida, is an autonomous agricultural development agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. It specifically works in the implementation of rural infrastructure programmes, developing extension programmes and activities. As part of its activities, and in co-ordination with the Spate Irrigation Network, it is interested in preparing two training modules, articulating the information available and the knowledge of local professionals. These modules will focus on livestock improvement and on the promotion of indigenous trees.

Existing information will be documented and enriched through discussions between a local resource persons and the different "experts", a process that will include articulation with narrative and digital archives as well as field verifications. This will start in October 2007.

More information?