ABSTRACT
The initial hypotheses that Sa’dah’s tribal society has the capacity to address the issue of groundwater mining co-operatively can not be verified. First; it has became apparent that the expansion of groundwater irrigated agriculture from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s was exacerbated by socio-economic and political forces specific to Sa’dah’s politicised environment. Secondly, current water use patterns seem to reflect not only economic but also cultural and political values associated with particular crops. And lastly, observations suggest that the region’s political economy and its politicised environment explain potential and constraints for adaptive responses of communities and individuals.
