Test Drive | Page 119

Chapter  7:  Case  studies  in  Sana’a  basin     In   2002   a   large   flood   filled   the   reservoir   lake,   consequently   submerging   agricultural   land   between   the   two   villages.   This   caused   a   loss   of   income   to   the   landowners.   As   compensation,   the   Government   first   wanted   to   provide  them  financial  compensation,  but  one  of  their  Mashaikhs  suggested  that  the  Government  should  give   wheat  to  the  landowners  of  Shahik  for  some  years  instead.  Accordingly,  the  Government,  through  President   66 Saleh,  gave  the  Shahik  village  people  a  yearly  wheat  supply  of  3,000  sacks  (qada).  However  this  supply  ceased   67 68 in  2007  (or  2006  or  2009,  interviewees  are  not  clear  about  dates ).   7.1.3    B:  Conflict  description  and  stakeholder  analysis   The   conflict   started   in   2002   between   the   two   villages   over   (a)   the   use   right   and   (b)   the   share   of   each   village   to   the  lake  water.  It  is  claimed  that  the  dam  prevents  the  flood  and  base  flow  from  reaching  the  area  of  Tanim  as   it  used  to  be  before  the  dam  construction.  Therefore,  the  people  from  Tanim  village  started  to  use  pumps  to   withdraw   water   from   the   lake   in   order   to   irrigate   their   fields.   Apparently,   the   people   of   Shahik   warned   the   people  of  Tana’am  on  several  occasions.  The  conflict  started  and  ended  with  the  death  of  two  persons,  one   69 from  each  side.     The  Shahik  sheikh  believes  that  the  conflict  was  triggered  by   “What   happen   later   is   like   a   Tan’im’s   jealousy   that   they   have   not   received   a   similar   compensation   from   Saleh.   However,   the   Tan’im   sheikh   punishment   from   GOD.   The   mentioned   that   they   also   received   financial   compensation   water   had   been   dried   from   Saleh   although   said   that   he   could   not   remember   how   gradually   until   it   finished   and   much.       the   dam   does   not   receive   any   According   to   Abdullah   Saleh   Feleih,   the   sheikh   from   Tan’im,   amount   of   flood   water   since   the   disagreement   was   over   water   share   and   each   side   claimed  that  the  land  in  which  the  dam  was  build  was  theirs,   the  bloodshed.”   despite *F