NEWS - April 2010
GTZ Water Program Components travelled to Muscat, Sultanate of Oman” 

During March 2010 GTZ Water Program Components 4 & 5 travelled to Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, with some of our counterparts to participate at the 9th Gulf Water Conference on the theme of "Water Sustainability in the GCC Countries".

Our group of 6 counterparts, included Deputy Minister of Local Administration Mrs. Khadija Radman, Deputy Governor of Amran Mr Bakr Ali Bakr, the Director of the National Water Resources Authority Aden Branch and two branch employees from Amran and Aden, as well as Dr Naif Abulahom from the Sana'a University Water & Environment Centre. Yemen was well represented at the Conference and the GTZ sponsored group made up half of the 13 Yemeni participants. There were 6 presentations from Yemeni experts, including an interesting one  from the Dr Al-Hamdi our previous partner in the Ministry of Water and Environment who is now working at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in Beirut.

In all over 170 officially attended the Conference with presentations given by 90 experts representing all Gulf countries, many of the Arab states and a sprinkling of international locations. Many presentations showed that other Gulf and Arab nations are struggling with the same issues that Yemen faces - declining groundwater levels, the need for effective groundwater management and regulation, and he necessity of well-trained national staff.

Many of the presentations from the Omani team showed that in the areas of groundwater there are many similarities there to the problems faced in Yemen and the potential for future exchanges of ideas and technology is obvious. However, Oman also has over 1,000 spring fed irrigation systems called falaj [plural: aflaj] and it was interesting to see their community-led and participatory approaches to water management, many having been in use for centuries.

The Omani Ministry of Regional Municipalities & Water Resources were exceptionally kind and gracious hosts and provided the conference goers with every opportunity to network over social events. In addition, due to the presence of the Deputy Minister with the Water Sector group, additional field trips were made to areas of hydrological and geological interest in the coastal Batinah Plain, aflaj in the the mountainous interior near historic Nizwa and farming areas on Jebel Akdhar - an area reminiscent of the Yemeni highlands. A very worthwhile conference experience was had by all.

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