SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES IN YEMEN

Abstract

Soil and water conservation a basic requirement for enhancing agricultural production, particularly in rainfed areas. Agricultural production from rainfed areas is of utmost importance for developing countries such as Yemen, where rainfed agricultural land would remain more than 50% of the culturable geographical area of the country, even afier achieving maximum irrigation potential. The soil and water conservation measures are primarily intended to check the velocity of runoff. increase infiltration, prevent soil erosion, and improve the soil moisture regime, resulting in increasing crop growth and productivity. Water and soil conservation has been the foundation of Yemeni agriculture and has been practiced since immemorial times, Yemenis from the top in the practice of keeping the water where they built a dam of Marib historic in the eighth century BC., And also they built terraces are man-made, in particular, are part of the scene right: Estimates they make up 20-25% of the total cultivated land. It has been estimated that terraces receive up to 40 % more moisture than that from direct rainfall on the soil. In addition to retaiiiiiig moisture, in mountainous areas, terracing is the main solution to controlling water erosion, one of the major causes of soil loss and soil degradation. Terracing builds up plots oCfèrtile soil, years after years. Without terraces, most of Yemen highlands would be barren. Thereibre, terraces are essential for both soil (and hence nutrient) and water conservation.