RGA/5/1
Sponsored by Aditya Pradeep, Sai Rachakonda, Benjamin Robertson, Krishna Volety of Ravenwood High School
The delegates above represented the Delegation of Yemen.
This legislation was filed in the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural category
Presented as part of the MUN B 2023 conference
| 1 | To the 2023 General Assembly of the United Nations, |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Expressing its deep concern that approximately 14.5 million people, about 50 percent of the |
| 4 | population in Yemen, lack access to safe, clean water, an essential resource to life, |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Deeply troubled by the fact that Yemen's water infrastructure and supplies get insufficient |
| 7 | resources due to poor GDP growth rates, which leads to crises like the present water deficit caused |
| 8 | by aquifer depletion, water scarcity, and inadequate rainfall, which has affected the lives of |
| 9 | countless Yemeni citizens, |
| 10 | |
| 11 | Gravely concerned that Yemen's lack of economic diversification and excessive reliance on rapidly |
| 12 | declining oil and gas revenues will make it difficult for the government to provide adequate funding |
| 13 | for vital water supply and infrastructure systems, |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Noting with grave concern that, despite some efforts by the UNHCR and the EU, Yemen's |
| 16 | investment climate continues to be severely hampered by inadequate regulatory mechanisms and |
| 17 | deficient water infrastructure, as evidenced by the continued rapid depletion of groundwater, lack |
| 18 | of water treatment facilities, and inability to develop alternative water resources, aggravating the |
| 19 | current water crisis and humanitarian emergency, |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Concerned that Yemen's lack of water infrastructure, such as water treatment facilities, irrigation |
| 22 | systems, and pipelines, has seriously hampered economic productivity, restricted agricultural and |
| 23 | industrial development, thwarted effective water distribution and accessibility, and exacerbated |
| 24 | the current water crisis, as shown by the severe lack of access to clean drinking water, |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Alarmed that Yemen has only 86 cubic meters of renewable freshwater resources per person, far |
| 27 | below the 500 cubic meter scarcity threshold, indicating a severe water shortage with disastrous |
| 28 | humanitarian effects, including an increase in disease, increased food insecurity, an economic |
| 29 | collapse, displaced people, and an inability to meet basic water needs, |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Noting with deep concern that Yemen's groundwater is being used at a rate that is twice as fast as |
| 32 | it is being replenished, seriously endangering agriculture, which uses 90% of groundwater, and |
| 33 | escalating the country's economic, food, and water crises, |
| 34 | |
| 35 | Keeping in mind Yemen's extreme groundwater dependence, Sana'a is distressingly predicted to |
| 36 | become the world's first dry capital city as its vital aquifer plummets precipitously from |
| 37 | overpumping, threatening the nation, |
| 38 | |
| 39 | Concerned that the ineffective flood irrigation used by 73.5 percent of Yemeni farmers, a |
| 40 | significant contributor to the water crisis, wastes more than 50 percent of water - to reduce waste, |
| 41 | irrigation enhancements must be made immediately, |
| 42 | |
| 43 | Acknowledging Yemen's fast-expanding population and the intensifying effects of climate change |
| 44 | are placing tremendous strain on the nation's already depleted water resources, dramatically |
| 45 | escalating water shortage problems and the present humanitarian situation, |
| 46 | |
| 47 | Demonstrating the significance of sustainable agricultural practices and groundwater recharge |
| 48 | measures for Yemen's water conservation efforts, as well as their ability to reduce the strain on |
| 49 | the country's water resources and increase access to water for its people, |
| 50 | |
| 51 | Further emphasizing the significance of creative and effective methods for extracting water from |
| 52 | aquifers, such as solar pumps, which significantly lower the costs associated with agriculture in |
| 53 | Yemen and further contribute to the stagnant economic development of Yemen with a GDP growth |
| 54 | rate of 0.8 percent compared to the global norm of 3.08 percent, |
| 55 | |
| 56 | Alarmed by the fact that 70-80 percent of conflicts in Yemen are over water, further making |
| 57 | Yemen more insecure for food, water, and nutrition, |
| 58 | |
| 59 | Keeping in mind that solar desalination has been demonstrated to be feasible in 177 countries, |
| 60 | particularly in neighboring Middle Eastern countries, Yemen, which is well-positioned with a long |
| 61 | coastline and plenty of sunlight, should follow suit in putting this proven method into practice to |
| 62 | provide safe drinking water where supplies are dangerously low, |
| 63 | |
| 64 | Noting Yemen's plentiful sunshine enables this renewable technology to sustainably deliver clean |
| 65 | water without taxing the country's resources, generating about 1.5 gallons of water per hour for |
| 66 | every square meter of solar panels, |
| 67 | |
| 68 | Noting with further approval that the desalination facilities powered by solar panels would enable a |
| 69 | sustainable supply of electricity without dependency on fossil fuels, thereby negating the electricity |
| 70 | expenses related to other kinds of desalination, |
| 71 | |
| 72 | The delegation of Yemen hereby: |
| 73 | |
| 74 | Humbly requests 50.5 million USD to protect our country's precarious water supply through the |
| 75 | installation of solar-powered reverse osmosis desalination facilities, groundwater recharge, labor |
| 76 | costs, and drip irrigation; |
| 77 | |
| 78 | Calls for 15 million USD for the construction of two 7.5 million USD solar-powered reverse osmosis |
| 79 | desalination plants in western Yemen that would produce 7,500 acre-feet of water annually to |
| 80 | replenish the depleted aquifers beneath the Tihama Basin, bringing sustainable, life-saving water |
| 81 | supplies to areas that urgently need them; |
| 82 | |
| 83 | Pledges that the delegation of Yemen intends to use the funds to construct two solar-powered |
| 84 | reverse osmosis plants in the cities of Al Hudaydah and Mocha; these places were chosen owing to |
| 85 | their favorable physical geology and proximity to the coast; |
| 86 | Proclaims Yemen allots 15 million for the development of groundwater recharge, which comprises |
| 87 | injection wells and recharge ponds, allowing 38,461-foot acres in the governorates of Al |
| 88 | Hudaydah, Al Janad, and Taiz; |
| 89 | |
| 90 | Proclaims that 7 million of the 50.5 million USD would be utilized to install drip irrigation |
| 91 | technology on 8,589 acres in Yemen; |
| 92 | |
| 93 | Establishes that 13.5 million of the 50.5 million USD would be utilized for labor expenditures, with |
| 94 | 1,500 workers earning 751,050.00 Yemeni Rials apiece over the course of three years; |
| 95 | |
| 96 | Further proclaims that the labor costs will include healthy working conditions and workers' rights, |
| 97 | as well as compliance with the minimum wage; |
| 98 | |
| 99 | Proclaims that this resolution will go into effect on January 1st, 2024; |
| 100 | |
| 101 |