Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Environment
By Khaled Abdullah and Adel Al-Khadher

In Yemen, farmers choose narcotic over other crops, exacerbating climate woes

People walk on the cracked soil caused by drought on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Farmers are draining groundwater around Yemen's capital and removing soil to cultivate the narcotic green leaf qat that dominates life in the country, threatening to exhaust precious resources in the climate-vulnerable nation.

Chewing qat is a national pastime and demand is one of the few certainties in a nation torn apart by a seven-year war that has wrecked the economy and caused a dire humanitarian crisis and left millions facing hunger.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.