A water trader in the Yemen capital of Sanaa says his pumps run continually in wells 1,300 feet deep, yet little water is there. Sometimes there is none.
Yemen is growing fast, but the water table is dropping precipitously. Fights between tribes have already started over water and experts say the city could be a ghost town in 20 years if things continue as they are.
One big problem is that growing the mild narcotic qat, which is chewed by many, takes 37% of the country’s water. But qat is embedded into the culture.